It's A Wonderful Life: One Piece Edition
by Alexpv22
Summary: After a rough day on the Sunny; complete with yelling, beatings, insults and going to bed without supper. Luffy begins to question his worth as a captain, a friend, a brother...or anything else. Distraught, he leaves the ship to perform a suicidal act. When a strange angel appears and offers him the chance to see the world without him. What will this world have in store for him
1. Chapter 1: Idiot Boy

Idiot Boy! The Tears of Straw Hat Luffy

(AN: I do not own One Piece; that is the property of Eiichiro _Oda and Toei Animation, respectively. Nor do I own It's A Wonderful Life. The film belongs to its director, Frank Capra and Liberty Films. So, don't anyone here sue me; are we cool? Good, enjoy the story)_

 _The Straw Hat Pirates, among the most infamous and well-known group of sailors ever known on the Blue. Led by their charismatic leader, Monkey D. Luffy (best known as Straw Hat, among his rivals and enemies.) These pirates faced many challenges along their voyage to find the famous One Piece.  
They've battled Fishmen, the marines, powerful admirals, mighty warriors, ferocious beasts, mad warlords like Doflamingo and scores of other dangers across the world. Yet, in spite of it all; they still came out on top and released their friends or each other from years of emotional torment and anguish._

 _But despite all these trials, there was one thing the crew very often struggled with…their captain's spontaneous personality. This day, in particular started out rather normal. All the crew was at different parts of the Sunny, attending to their own affairs._

 _Zoro was lifting weights, Sanji was prepping ingredients for dinner, Franky was tending to the engines of the ship, Brook played his viola while "yohohoho-ing" merrily, Robin was in the library with Nami, Usopp was keeping watch up on the Crow's Nest and Chopper was working on his latest batch of tonics for medical emergencies. As they went about their business as usual, they soon felt that something was off. "Hey," Usopp called down from the nest, "anybody seen Luffy around, it's too quiet here!"_

 _As if on cue, the rubber-bodied captain suddenly popped up beside him. "HEY, USOPP" shouted Luffy with enthusiasm, this sudden outcry took the ship's resident sniper by surprise. So much so, he began to lose his grip on his telescope._

 _Usopp juggled it repeatedly in his hands, trying desperately not to drop it. Which, unfortunately…he did; Usopp gasped in shock, as the item began to fall down towards the sea. As luck would have it, Luffy's hand suddenly stretched down and snatched it in the nick of time._

 _"Phew! That was a close one, almost lost your spyglass" chuckled Luffy, handing Usopp the telescope. The poor fool didn't even notice his friend's eyebrow and lip twitching irritably. After taking back the spyglass; Usopp gazed at his friend, smile a slightly twitching grin…and bopped him hard upon the head._

 _"IT WAS NO THANKS TO YOU THAT I ALMOST LOST MY SCOPE, LUFFY!" he roared. Luffy nursed the sore spot on his head with a groan and murmured how sorry he was. "Sorry?_ _Sorry?!_ _This is the fourth time this has happened in the past three days" Usopp said firmly._

 _"I said I'm sorry" he mumbled, "I didn't mean to scare you, I was just waking up from a nap." Usopp couldn't help but facepalm himself irritably. "And why were you napping in the Crow's Nest…_ _again_ _?! You were on guard duty, remember?" he growled._

 _"Well…I got bored during it all and I guess, I must've fallen asleep or something" he replied. This statement resulted in him being flung out of the nest and onto the deck of the ship. "If you want to take a nap…_ _SLEEP IN YOUR ROOM AND LET ME DO MY JOB!"_ _he roared loudly._

 _Just before he slipped into unconsciousness, the last words Luffy heard from him were "idiot boy." His pain did not stop there, however; for the resulting crash from his fall caused Zoro to lose his grip on his weights. Before the swordsman could react, the heavy bar pressed hard atop his chest; almost crushing the wind out of him._

 _Luffy soon recovered, seconds later and saw his friend choking madly. "Hang on, Zoro; I'll save ya" he assured and without pause, lifted the weight over his head and threw it to the side. With the heavy load finally off of him, Zoro began to cough loudly; desperately filling his lungs with air._

 _Luffy quickly hurried to his side and asked his first mate if everything was okay. "Should I take you to Chopper, maybe he can help" he suggested. Through his one good eye, Zoro glared icily at his captain. "Before you do anything, Captain; tell me…_ _WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU DOING?!"_ _he shouted, gripping Luffy by the throat._

 _"I almost choked from being crushed to death, because of you!" he seethed with rage. Luffy coughed loudly, as he desperately tried to get his words out; while being choked. The only thing he could do was point up to the Crow's Nest and mumble words like "sorry" or "fell."_

 _"You clumsy idiot, can't you be careful while climbing out of the nest?!" Zoro roared. He then released Luffy, grabbed for one of the free weights nearby and tapped it into his open palm. This all made Luffy feel rather nervous._

 _"Um…Zoro, what'cha gonna do with that?" he asked fearfully, "it seems, Luffy that the only one who will need Chopper's help…_ _is YOU!"_ _he roared, swinging the weight down. The scene cuts to moments later; as Luffy (now adorning two swollen eyes, busted up teeth, a bloody nose and hand grips on his throat) approaches Chopper's room. Meanwhile, the little blue-nosed reindeer doctor of the Sunny was hard at work at a small chemistry set._

 _"Excellent, these ingredients the Mink Tribe gave me will do wonders for my new healing serum" he cheered proudly. He then dipped a needle into a beaker and filled it with an odd colored fluid. Then, ever-so carefully; he added one drop of it into a dish and smiled._

 _"Very good; now, it just needs to cool and then…"His train of thought was suddenly disturbed by the sound of a door bursting open. This caused the young reindeer to stumble back in surprise, bumping into his worktable._

 _He looked down and sighed with relief, having seen his latest medicinal mixture was still safe. He then looked over to see just who it was that disturbed him. Much to his slight dismay, it was Luffy._

 _"What is it now, Luffy" he grumbled softly, "I'm in the middle of working on something important." Through his swollen lips, Luffy did his best to speak clearly. "Sowwy, Coppuh; I bus mead bum bedisbin" (Sorry, Chopper; I just need some medicine.)_

 _"Well, can't it wait until later; this is important" Chopper asserted slightly. Luffy could only give a small whine in response. "Buh by head herths so blad" (But my head hurts so bad.)_

 _Without hesitating; Luffy, through his swollen eyelids, does his best to seek out anything to relieve his pain. He soon comes across a big bottle of pink fluid and pours it on his swollen eyes. Upon seeing this, Chopper lets out a shriek of alarm._

 _"NO, LUFFY" he cried, "that's disinfectant fluid, it burns the skin!" But it was too late; upon pouring the fluid onto his eyes, Luffy soon felt the stinging pain of the chemicals and began running about the room. Chopper sighed softly, walked to another cabinet and proceeded to collect rolls of bandages and some medical wipes._

 _Minutes later, Chopper lightly pushed Luffy out of his room in a huff. "Now, stay outside and don't bother me for the rest of the afternoon" he grumbled softly. Now, Luffy's head was rather thoroughly covered in bandages._

 _But his ears were still open enough to overhear Chopper murmur the words "idiot boy," just before he closed the door. Upon hearing his, Luffy felt as though something was ripping apart in his chest; as if his heart had almost been torn in half. This was the third time someone had called him "idiot boy" in one day._

 _"Normally, when one has been around their crew and heard as many jabs at themselves as Luffy has; it would seem like nothing. But for some strange reason; today, the crew's words had begun to have an emotional impact on him._

 _"Maybe I'll go hang with Brook"_ _Luffy thought,_ _"there's no way I can make a mistake there…right?"_ _With that thought in mind, Luffy proceeded to find the skeletal musician. Surely; he, of all the crew, would welcome his company today._

 _Meanwhile, at another area of the ship; Brook was in the midst of singing his iconic melody of Bink's Sake. It was then that he began to tap his chin in thought. "No…I should try something else for a change" he murmured, while trying to think of new ideas._

 _While he scribbled on his music sheets and sung softly to himself. He failed to hear the shrill yet gravely sounds of Luffy's voice, singing his song. The rubber man swung his arms about, while singing merrily._

 _Upon reaching the end of the song, he gave a loud laugh. "Man, Brook; have I ever told you yet how awesome your song is?" he asked pleasantly but received no response. Confused, he looked over to his friend to see if he was alright._

 _The skeleton man remained vigilant with his work. Time after time, he tried his best to think of a new song for him and the crew to sing. But with each attempt, his brain (or possible lack there of, since he is dead) seemed to be drawing a blank._

 _"Hey, Brook; what'cha doin'?" asked Luffy innocently, "I'm trying to come up with a new song to play for the crew, when we have fun or need cheering up" Brook replied with an exasperated sigh. This caused Luffy to smile beneath his bandages. "Oh, maybe I can help" he requested, "I know a really fun song to sing."_

 _Before Brook can tell him to stop, Luffy began to sing his "_ _Baka_ _Song." He did it in a voice so loud, one could see several sea creatures plugging up their earholes painfully. As Luffy belted out the final high note, Brook gripped his pencil so tightly that it split in two._

 _Luffy took notice of this and chuckled a bit. "Oops, looks like you broke your pencil" he stated. Brook looked at his broken writing utensil, then at the pieces of discarded paper he threw about the floor and then at Luffy with a fierce look in his eyeholes. "Yes…it seems I_ _did_ _break my pencil" he murmured, while approaching Luffy slowly._

 _"But it seems_ _you_ _broke my train of thought and now…_ _I'M GONNA BREAK YOUR NECK!"_ _he roared with great rage in his voice. What followed next was a chase all across the deck. Until Luffy, at last, took cover inside of a door._

 _"I'LL TEACH YOU TO DISRUPT MY WORK, IDIOT BOY!" Brook's voice shouted from outside the door. Luffy heaved several breaths loudly, trying his best to calm his nerves. Welp, chalk another mark on the "idiot boy chart, he thought._

 _As of that moment; either called him "idiot boy," tried to murder him or "blessed" him with a combination of the two. The only ones he had yet to cross paths with were Franky, Sanji, Nami and Robin. He thought it best to try and not get on anyone else's bad side for the rest of the day._

 _At that moment, Luffy began smacking his lips dryly. "Wow…all that running's made me thirsty" he wheezed softly, then proceeded to find something nearby to drink. Eventually, he came across a big barrel; one almost as tall as him._

 _He took a step closer to the barrel and soon noticed a delicious aroma. "Mmm! Smells like Franky's cola" Luffy cried with delight, it was then that he realized he must be inside of Franky's workshop. "This must be a new batch of it that he made for us" Luffy cheered with delight._

 _His eyes then began darting side-to-side, as if he was plotting something. "I'm sure, Franky wouldn't mind if I had a liiittle taste of the cora before the others" he thought softly. With that, he propped open the lid and took in a quick but deep swig of the drink._

 _It was at that moment when Franky, finally returned to the shop. When he opened the door, he dropped his tools out of his hands and his jaw dropped through the floor. "LUFFYYY!" he shouted, "what are you doing here and what are you doing to my new barrel load of cola?!"  
With his belly slightly full of fluid, Luffy waddled around so that he would face his robot friend. "Don't worry, Franky" he assured, "I didn't drink it all, there's still half a barrel full." As Luffy made his way into the hall, Franky called out to him._

 _"You don't understand, that batch was an experimental mega thrust batch" he stated. Luffy only tilted his head in confusion, while letting out a soft burp. "That batch you just sampled; once used, it can send our ship flying out for miles at near warp speed" he said while flailing his arms dramatically._

 _As if on cue, his stomach began to churn and gurgle violently. Before Luffy could ask Franky what was happening, he popped. With a thunderous belch, the rubber man was sent flying down the hall like a cannonball that's been fired._

 _As he disappeared into the distance, Franky shook his head and mumbled "idiot boy" under his breath. Still full of cola, Luffy flew faster and faster down the hall. Until, at last, he crashed through a set of double doors._

 _Eventually, he crashed hard against something…but he didn't no what. For his body and mind was still recovering from the massive amounts of sugar he ingested. He then heard sounds of crashing and spotted papers flying through the air._

 _After letting out one more soft belch, he pushed himself onto his knees. Where he was met with the sight of two pairs of long, voluptuous legs. Both of which were tapping their toes._

 _He looked up to see the disgruntled glares of Nami, the ship's Navigator and Robin, their resident archeologist. "Um…ladies, I can explain" mumbled Luffy nervously; Nami only looked at him with a single stare. The sort of look that could make even the most blood-thirsty of pirates turn chicken._

 _"You get twenty seconds" she stated simply, which caused Luffy to blink in confusion. "How can I explain myself in twenty seconds?" he asked, pushing himself onto his feet. "No, Luffy…twenty seconds is how long you have to run; before I MAIM YOU AND THROW YOU TO THE SHARKS!"_

 _Luffy let out a yelp of shock and turned to Robin for recompense. But she only gave him another icy stare, in response. "Nami-chan and I agreed that, the next time you mess up something. Twenty seconds would be your time for a head start…but for receiving your punishment" she said grimly._

 _With that said, Luffy quickly headed out the door. But soon felt is bandaged face ram into a powerful right hook. Staggering slightly, he looked through his bandages and saw that it was Sanji who struck him._

 _"Hey, what was that for?" he cried, rubbing his cheek. "Three reasons; for breaking my kitchen wall, when you threw Zoro's weight. For causing Nami-swan and Robin-swan to get angry and finally…_ _just because!_ _" With that, he and Nami proceeded to chase Luffy down the hall until he reached the safety of his bedroom and locked the door._

 _Utilizing his Devil Fruit powers, he pressed himself against the door to prevent his angry friends from getting in. But surprisingly; they gave in, after jiggling the handle only twice. As they proceeded back down the hall, they gave him their final words._

"If you're smart, Luffy; I'd stay in there and keep as far away from us as possible" growled Nami venomously. "And after all the shit you caused today, you're not getting _ANY_ supper tonight!" added Sanji with equal furious passion. Before they went too far off, Luffy could swear he heard the words "idiot boy" being used against him…again.

Weary, beaten, sore, hungry and saddened; Luffy proceeded to his bed and plopped down upon the pillow. As the night fell and everyone else went off to bed. Robin passed by Luffy's door and glared at it softly for a few moments.

Finally, she let out a tired sigh and retreated to her room. "Luffy's done some things before but this…never thought he could be this reckless and imbecilic." Meanwhile, in the room; Luffy could hear every word his "friend" had said about him.

Granted, while he didn't know what the word "imbecilic" meant. In his heart…or whatever was left, after the others tore it to pieces, he knew the truth. He knew that it was her way of calling him the one thing everyone else did…"idiot boy."

"That's it…if Robin, of all people is calling me that. Then…it _must_ be true" he mumbled sadly. He sat upright on his bed and sighed wearily at the thought of the crummy day he had.

In truth, this was but one mark on a loooong list of screw ups he caused his crew. He then reached up and took his hat in his hands. His mind then filled itself with memories of when Shanks gave it to him and the promise he made to give it back, after he became Pirate King.

Once that thought came into his head, Luffy growled; almost tearing his "treasure." "Who am I kidding" he thought grimly, "I'm no pirate king…I'm a loser, no good to nobody." He sniffled slightly and looked at a picture on his desk.

It featured himself and the rest of the crew at Sabaody. Just after they reunited from their two-year separation. As he looked at all their smiles, he himself also tried to smile.

But it quickly faded, as all manner of bad memories filled his head. From when Vivi called Luffy a failure for almost choosing to fight Drum Island's people over saving Nami. To the moment where Luffy witnessed his greatest tragedy, Ace's death.

One by one; every memory where he annoyed the crew, unintentionally put them in danger, every scolding, every "fist of love" and every instant where he failed to protect everyone filled his thoughts. With shaking hands; he placed the photo back on the desk, fell to his knees and for the first time in a long time, he cried.

He wept for what felt like ages, until he suddenly heard Sanji's voice roaring outside his door. "KEEP IT DOWN, IDIOT; I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!" he shouted. "I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH YOU CRY, YOU'RE NOT GETTING DINNER!"

With a sniffle and a murmur, Luffy wiped his eyes and looked out his window. There; he could see glimpses of himself as a child, also crying. Which was then met with Ace bopping him and telling him he'd leave him behind, if he didn't stop.

Once the images faded, Luffy looked around the room and then at himself in the mirror. With tearstains on his cheeks, he glared at his reflection and took off his hat. "You're no captain" he mumbled, "a real captain takes care of his crew, inspires them. But you…you're just a useless idiot boy."

With that in mind, he placed his hat on the desk and left his room. He then made two quick stops on the ship. The first being the kitchen (specifically, the meat storage area) and the library. Once in the library, he took a piece of paper and…rather sloppily wrote a note. Once the note was done, he returned for his hat and left it in the kitchen. A message to the crew that their captain has withdrawn his position.

 _"It's for the best"_ he thought; _"these guys are all smarter, stronger, braver and more talented than me. They can find Roger's treasure without me getting in the way."_ With a heavy heart, his sac of meat on his back and his eyes moist with tears; Luffy was off. He gave one final glance at the hall where his former crewmates' sleeping quarters were and departed.

But not before collecting one final item from the kitchen, Sanji's sharpest knife. The sort he would use to cut up Sea King meat. With all his goods in hand, Luffy made his way below deck. The only words that passed his lips, as he trudged on were the weak mumbles of "idiot boy.

Finally, he found what he wanted; the Mini Merry II. "With all my stuff, this won't get me far" he mumbled. At that moment, Luffy spotted a small island just seven miles away from the ship. "But I suppose that place will do. It's not like I want to be found anyhow" he grumbled angrily.

With that; he placed himself into the boat, started the engine and sped off towards the little island. As he rode off, the waters echoed slightly with the murmurs of "idiot boy" being repeated over and over.

(AN: As Joker said in The Killing Joke, "all it takes is one bad day." In this case, Luffy had a MAJORLY bad day. One could only wonder what he'll do next or what the crew will do, when they find out he's gone. Tune in next time to find out)


	2. Chapter 2: Stay Your Hand

"Stay Your Hand, Child:" A Heavenly Visit

(AN: I don't own One Piece or It's A Wonderful Life. Both of the properties each belong to their respected owners)

The following morning, sounds of yawning and grumbling were heard throughout the sleeping quarters of the Sunny. Each member of the crew awoke from their beds and headed off to the kitchen for breakfast…all but one. Soon, the rest of the crew began either eating their meals or sipping their morning coffee in silence. That is, until Zoro quickly spoke up.

"There's something off here" he murmured, which caused the others to look at him strangely. "What are you talking about, Zoro" questioned Usopp, "this is the first time we've had a decent quiet meal in ages." That statement, that single phrase alone felt so odd; all time seemed to freeze.

"Zoro's right" murmured Chopper, "it's never _this_ quiet during a meal." It was in that moment that they, at last realized something was off. They looked around the table and soon noticed that Luffy's chair was empty.

"What the…that's weird; usually, Luffy-kun is the first person at the table for breakfast" Robin surmised. "Maybe he's sick or something" suggested Chopper, "he _did_ go to bed without supper, last night." Sanji could only scoff at this statement.

"C'mon, Chopper" he chuckled, "it was just one night he went without supper. You're making it sound like he's sick with the Plague or something." After that, each member of the crew (sans Sanji) began to murmur with shame.

"We _were_ kind of rough on him, last night" Usopp implied, this caused Sanji to become slightly defensive. "Come on, people; have you forgotten all the things he did that night?!" Each straw hat member nodded slightly in agreement. But even that couldn't shake off the guilt they felt.

"When you think about it, each of those incidents was simply an accident" Robin stated. "But Robin-chan…he…he wrecked the library, scattered all my map papers all across the room" Nami interjected. "Yes, he did…but did he do that or _anything_ that happened last night on purpose or out of spite against us?" questioned Robin.

This was met by a series of unintelligible murmuring. As if everyone didn't really know what to say in their defense. Then, Zoro reminded Robin that she was just as guilty of hurting Luffy as the rest of them.

Such a statement caused the two to glare fiercely at each other. Sensing hostility growing, Chopper and Usopp volunteered to go and retrieve Luffy and they quickly left the room. Several moment had passed since they left and nothing out of the ordinary happened.

That is, until a shrill scream echoed from down the hall. Nami, Robin, Brook, Franky and Zoro hurried down to see what had happened. When they arrived, Nami saw Chopper weeping uncontrollably onto Luffy's bed.

"For goodness sake, Chopper; stop the bawling and talk to us" ordered Zoro. Without saying a word, Chopper pointed at an object on the desk; Luffy's hat. "What the…did Luffy forget his hat or something" questioned Franky.

"Forget that, where's Luffy" asked Nami, gesturing at the empty room. "Probably snuck out of his room in the middle of the night to get in the kitchen" replied Zoro. "No doubt, he's down there munching away at our provisions."

At first, the crew was ready and willing to agree with his theory. Then, they heard footsteps approaching from behind. "What did I tell you, that's probably him now" chuckled Zoro, gesturing outside of the room.

Everyone looked out the door with hopeful eyes. But said hopes were suddenly blown away by a puff of cigarette smoke. "Sanji-kun; did you, by chance, see Luffy in the kitchen?" inquired Nami, to which Sanji only responded with a shake of his head. "You mean he isn't in here" he asked, each member of the crew also responded with a sad shake of the head.

"Where the Hell is he" Sanji growled, "I got a score to settle with him." "I think you did enough to him last night, Curly Brows" scoffed Zoro. This soon led to the duo partaking in yet _another_ fight. As they quarreled, Chopper looked over at Luffy's desk and spotted a piece of paper sitting there.

"Guys, I think I found something" he chimed in, catching the crew's attention. Curious, Robin approached the desk and began studying the letter. "What is it, Robin-swan; a ransom note, a summons…a love letter" Sanji asked, whispering the final part to himself.

"No…it _is_ a letter but judging from the handwriting, it was written by Luffy" she replied. Everyone murmured in confusion, wondering where their captain was and what the letter said. "The captain's penmanship is…regrettably, sloppy. But I'll try to read what it says" Robin assured.

After that, everyone fell silent and urged Robin to read Luffy's note as best as she could.

 _"To who…whom…aw, screw it; to anybody who cares,"_

 _"If you've found this note; then, you must've found it in the freezer and noticed all the meat's gone. Sanji might need to make one more run, at the next island. It also means that it's been possibly one month or so since I've left the ship and no one's noticed 'til now._

 _Don't worry about looking for me; by the time you read this, I'll be looong gone. I'm sorry I'm such a failure…and a worthless captain. No one needs to worry anymore, I won't bug anyone again."_

" _Sincerely,  
"Monkey D. Luffy, the Boy who Failed to Become King"_

 _"A.K.A. Idiot Boy"_

After reading that note, not one person dared to speak a word.

Meanwhile, on an island not too far from the ship. Luffy had docked the Mini Merry on the shore and did his best to hide it. Afterward, he trudged deep into the thick trees of the island's small jungle.

Finally, he stopped at a small clearing and sat down; cross-legged. "Well…best get this over with now, before I get second thoughts" he mumbled sadly. He then took out all the meat from his pack and proceeded to eat all of it.

From the biggest slab of sea king meat, to the smallest slice of pork loin. Luffy devoured every last crumb of the meat. What made this particular instant of his meat-eating habits different, you might be asking? Well, he intended for it all to be his final meal.

After swallowing the last bit of his meat, Luffy let out a belch and patted his belly. "Sanji may not have liked or respected me that much. But I still respect _him_ for his cooking skills" he praised softly. Upon thinking of Sanji, his mind was soon flooded with images of his former friends.

These thoughts, in turn caused him to sob softly with regret and shame. He then reached into his travel pack and drew out the knife he took. With a heavy heart, Luffy touched the tip of the blade lightly against his abs.

 _"No matter what happens, I will_ NOT _summon my Haki to stop the knife"_ he thought bitterly. He cast one final glance at the sky, thinking pleasant thoughts about his friends and readied himself. But just as he prepared to drive the blade through it, Luffy heard a noise.

It was faint, almost like that of a whisper. But Luffy was sure that someone was talking to him, just now. He shook off the thought and returned to his task.

Soon, he heard the noise again; this time, much more loudly. "WHO IS IT…WHAT DO YOU WANT?!" Luffy shouted, waving the knife threateningly. To his surprise, no response came; which made him feel both confused and concerned.

As Luffy drove the knife in without any further hesitation, something felt off. He opened his eyes and looked at himself closely. "Did I…Did I do it, am I dead now?" he asked himself, rubbing his wrists.

After that, he proceeded to pinch himself; to test if he _was_ alive. Much to Luffy's disappointment, he was still breathing; as the pinching sensation soon proved. He then looked down and saw his stomach was coated in something.

Without a second thought, Luffy ran his finger along the substance and tasted it…which was rather sweet. "It tastes like…banana?" he murmured in confusion, dusting off his belly. He then looked at his hand and saw that instead of a knife, he was holding an empty banana peel.

"What the…where's my knife, is someone pranking me?" he demanded, searching for any sign of trespassers. Suddenly, a soft yet familiar voice spoke to him. _"This isn't a prank, little mortal; it's an intervention"_ it stated.

Luffy looked about feverishly, demanding to know who was messing with him. As if an answer to his wish, a bright light flashed before the young pirate. Who proceeded to take his battle stance.

What Luffy saw next made him almost bawl his eyes out. For standing before him was his brother, Portgas D. Ace. With a joyful cry, Luffy leapt into "Ace's" arms. Only to suddenly phase through him like he was passing through mist.

"What the…are you trying to make me mad, Ace?" grumbled Luffy, scratching his head. "Firstly, mortal; I am _not_ your departed brother. I've only assumed his form so that my appearance would be welcoming to you" the stranger explained. This seemed to only confuse Luffy further.

"I still don't get it, are you a Devil Fruit user or something?" he asked. The figure only chuckled in response, telling him that his powers and that of his master were greater than that of the Devil Fruits. "You see…I'm your guardian angel, your spiritual protector from on high" he stated.

Luffy only scoffed at the supposed "angel's" words. "If you are who you say you are…then where were you when I got caught by Dadan, when I tried to steal her rum?" The angel could only stammer, unsure of what to say.  
Still, Luffy continued to grill the stranger; "or what about the time when Sabo dared me to raid Makino's secret sweet stash during Happy Hour at her tavern…or the time I got busted by those Giants in Elbaf, when Nami 'convinced me' to steal some of their gold?" After being questioned by him for so long, the angel finally threw his arms out in defeat. "OI! Give me a break here, I'm still a newbie at this" he shouted, his former refined tone having faded.

After collecting himself, the angel decided to "be real" with Luffy. "Look, I'm a trainee of an angel; sent by the big man upstairs" he said while gesturing to heaven. "I was sent here to make sure you didn't do anything dumb.

It was that statement where all the pieces came together. "So, _you're_ the guy who swiped my knife away!" he shouted, the angel chuckled and summoned the item back into his hand. "You mean this…sorry, you can't get it back" he said firmly, which only aggravated Luffy even more.

"C'mon, you bastard; I need that" he whined, "why…so you could stab yourself?" the angel asked bluntly. Luffy was about to retort but realized the angel spoke the truth and so, he nodded silently. "Well, little man; I'm sorry to tell you but my boss says I can't let you do that" the angel stated.

"But why, why are you even here" prodded Luffy, "I'm here…because I need to show you you're making a mistake" the angel replied. "Mistake…you're calling me killing myself a mistake?" he chuckled mockingly, unsure of how to react. " _YEEES!_ As _your_ guardian angel, it's my job to help you change your mind and send you home!" shouted the angel.

"If I do this job right, I'll finally get my wings and go wherever I want up there" he sighed happily. But Luffy appeared less enthusiastic and didn't wish to help him. "You're wasting your time here, pal" he grumbled, "just go back and find another idiot to annoy."  
The angel facepalmed himself bitterly and asked Luffy why he was so eager to end his life. "Isn't it obvious, pal" he murmured, "I'm no good to anyone, the whole world would be better off without me in it. I wish I was never born, to be honest" Once this statement was made, the angel sighed sadly and clapped his hands.

After that; Luffy soon found himself floating in a black, empty void. "What the…Where am I, where's the sea and the Mini Merry?" he asked worriedly, unsure of what was happening. As if on cue, Luffy's angel suddenly floated past him; doing a backstroke.

"There is no sea, mack" he said bluntly, which made Luffy confused. "You said the world is better without you and that you wished you were never born. So, you got what you wished for." Luffy growled irritably at the angel and demanded more answers.  
How could there be no sea without me in the world, huh?!" he asked impatiently. "UGH! Look, where you were before I arrived; that's not around anymore" he groaned. Despite his careful phrasing, Luffy _still_ seemed lost.

"Without you in the world, there is no Mini Merry to take you away. Heck, there's no Thousand Sunny around either" the angel stated. "But how can that be…Franky built it; so, it should exist" Luffy retorted.

It was then that a grim thought appeared in his head. "Wait…in this weird world, is Franky dead?" Luffy asked worriedly. "There's only one way to find out, little man" replied the angel bluntly.

He then reached into his sleeve, pulled out a tin whistle and blew out three toots from it. At first, nothing seemed to have happened; they were both still floating in the void. "What was all that about, angel man?" asked Luffy irritably.

"Be patient, mortal; we need to wait for my ride" the angel stated firmly, putting back the whistle. In just moments, Luffy spotted something flying towards them. At first glance, it looked like a shooting star.

But once it got close enough, Luffy saw that it was actually a ship. The hull and deck were all made of the fluffiest of clouds and the sail was a giant shooting star. "Why do you have a star for a sail?" questioned Luffy, both confused and lost in awe.

"In the void of space, what's faster than a shooting star?" the angel replied. He then gestured for Luffy to enter the vessel. "Come on, no time to screw around" he ordered, "we've got a long journey ahead and I want to make good time."

"'Make good time,' for what; where are we even going?" questioned Luffy. "It's all part of my job, I'm gonna give you an up close look at the world if you weren't part of it" the angel replied. "I gotta warn you, though; a lot of the stuff gets pretty unsavory…are you sure you don't want to turn back?" he suggested.

"Not a chance" Luffy replied, "I'm always up for an adventure; besides, I really wanna see how things are without me." The angel sighed softly and took hold of the wheel, calling out "raise anchor." Luffy stared at him dumbfounded, wondering if he had lost his marbles.

Then, suddenly; the chains of the anchor began to creek and it slowly rose up the side of the ship. "This ain't no mortal pirate ship, boy" the angel chuckled, "this is a heavenly vessel." With that said, he shouted for the star to sail on and it began to whiz forward; causing the ship to move.

Despite all his years of sailing, even Luffy wasn't prepared for something like this. After finally getting his legs to work, he approached the angel and asked where they were heading. "We're off to see the first crewmember you had met…Roronoa Zoro" replied the angel, turning the wheel starboard.

In what seemed like a flash, the ship zoomed off and disappeared into a flash of light.

AN: Wonder what awaits Luffy on this particular voyage and just what will this Luffy-less world hold in store for us? Tune in next time to find out


	3. Chapter 3: A Swordsman without Purpose

A Swordsman without Purpose: The Scourge of Zoro the Merciless

The ship finally halted instantly, after soaring through the sky in a flash. Soon, Luffy saw that he was no longer in that weird void. But instead, they were hovering over an island.

"What the…where are we now?" questioned Luffy, "patience, little man; we have yet to reach our destination" the angel stated. Their ship began floating on over the island…but no one even looked up to see them. "That's weird, how come nobody's freaking out about our floating ship?" he asked genuinely.

"We're invisible to the people around us, boy" replied the angel, "no one here can see or hear us." Finally, the ship stopped and began to lower down towards the ground. As they disembarked and walked on, Luffy tapped the angel's shoulder and asked where Zoro was. "If you wish to find him…simply follow the trail of blood and corpses" he stated simply.

Luffy stared at him confusedly and prepared to ask for the meaning behind his statement. When suddenly, he looked down and noticed something odd in the sand. Upon closer inspection, he realized that it had been soaked red with blood.

He gulped nervously and looked ahead of him to find a hideous sight. All around them were Marines, civilians and pirates; all bleeding from massive cuts on their bodies. Luffy crept closer for a closer look at the pirates and gasped.

"I know these assholes" Luffy shouted, "these guys belong to that other asshole, Axe-Hand Morgan." The angel nodded slightly with a smile, proud to see Luffy had a stronger memory than he assumed. "Then you must also know where we are now, right?" he asked.

Now; Luffy is, by no means, as brainless as people would assume. When the moment calls for it, he can be either quite clever or remember things that are of the utmost importance to him. The places where he and his crew met were no exception.

"It's been a while…but if Morgan's pirates are here" he pondered, his head burning with thought. "Then…that means…we're …WE MUST BE CLOSE TO SHELLS TOWN!" he shouted, throwing his fist up in triumph. The angel couldn't help but laugh, not out of mockery but with pride.

"Yeah! This is where I met Zoro, just up ahead there" Luffy chuckled, pointing towards the distance. Without hesitation, he raced off ahead; eager to see his first mate again. Back at the shore; the angel shook his head, thinking of just how surprised Luffy will be by how different things are here.

After twelve minutes of running, Luffy finally reached his destination. It was a large yard within a walled off area of the town. Here, all criminals were brought and executed by the marines who protected the island.

Much to Luffy's surprise, however; he did not find his friend tied to the pole. "Hey, what gives" he groaned, "isn't this where Zoro and I first met? I saved him from being killed off by all those jerks!" In a flash, the angel appeared at Luffy's side "that's true, this _would_ be where you would meet…if you actually came here" he said bluntly.

Luffy prepared to question his words, until a shrill scream of terror suddenly disrupted his thoughts. He turned around to see a young Navy rookie fleeing in terror from something. "Must be on the run from Morgan and his goons…bring him on" Luffy chuckled, squatting in preparation for the fight to come.

It was then he spied a shadow looming close behind the marine. The very sight of this almost brought the poor rookie to peeing his pants. Faster and faster, the rookie ran on down the road; not wishing to meet his end that day.

But in his haste, the lad suddenly tripped over a stone and fell hard on his face. Dazed from the fall, covered in dust and trembling with fear; the rookie desperately reached for his pistol. But in the blink of an eye, several slices flashed before his eyes and the weapon fell to pieces.

With his weapon destroyed and his comrades lying dead all around him. The poor lad could only wait for his inevitable end. At that moment, Luffy suddenly jumped in front of him; ready to kick his attacker's ass.

Finally, the navy rookie's pursuer began his casual stride towards them. When his face soon came into view, all time seemed to freeze. Standing before Luffy, with three blades coated red with blood, was none other than Roronoa Zoro.  
Luffy's expression shifted through a plethora of emotion; ranging from shock, terror and confusion. His mind was also abuzz with questions about the situation. Why was Zoro attacking the rookie, was he the one who attacked those people in the streets, where was Captain Morgan…and why wasn't he tied up.

"Zoro, stop it" Luffy shouted, "I know you want to be a great fighter…but this isn't right, you know that!" Much to his surprise, Zoro said nothing in reply. All he did was cackle softly under his breath and slowly approached the rookie.

Upon seeing the murderous look in the swordsman's eyes, Luffy had no choice but to take action. Grasping his shoulder and his iris' shrunken with anger, he lunged forward with a roar; poised to deliver a swift Gum-Gum punch. What happened next took Luffy completely off guard.

As he threw his fist forward, he was surprised to see that it didn't even stretch out…not even a little. Then, he suddenly began to stumble forward awkwardly. Luffy let out a soft "eep," dreading Zoro's anger once he would hit him. However, much to his surprise; he suddenly phased through him and fell to the ground; landing on his face.

As he pulled himself up again, the sounds of screams and metal cutting into flesh echoed through Luffy's ears. He looked on in horror, as he saw the Navy rookie's head sail into the air and land with a thump at his feet; the face frozen with a look of terror. Zoro looked down at the headless corpse before him and scoffed.

"Pathetic…even that loser Helmeppo put up a better fight than you" he said grimly, tossing the blood from his blades. His work done, he went off towards the marina to find a ship; ready to sail off in search of a new opponent…or a training dummy. Luffy stared at his former friend with a mixed look of horror and disgust on his face.

"What… _the HELL?!"_ Luffy cried, "what the Hell just happened, was…was _he_ the one that killed all those people back there?" The angel said nothing, at first; for he was busy helping all the dead around them either ascend or descend to their rightful place in the afterlife. Finally, he gave Luffy an over-the-shoulder glance and shrugged.

"Guess Moss Head didn't know the right way to use his skills" he said simply. Luffy growled in annoyance, demanding answers to his many questions. "Why did he do all this, what happened here, is Zoro a ghost or…am _I_ a ghost and why didn't my powers work?!" he asked in a single breath, surprisingly.

With a sigh, the angel faced Luffy and instructed him to sit down. "To start with, it wasn't Morgan who wrecked this place…it was Zoro" he sighed, Luffy let out a gasp and asked why Zoro did all this. "You were right, the yard we were at before _was_ the place where Zoro _would've_ been executed…and where you two would meet" the angel explained.

"But why did I phase through him? Are we ghosts or something" Luffy asked, still rather confused. Despite the honest curiosity behind his question, the angel couldn't help but facepalm. "I already told you before" he began, "in this world, you…do not… _exist!_ " he cried out exasperated.

"In this world; nobody can see, hear or touch us and we can't do the same." He then went on to explain that because Luffy was never born, he never ate the Gum-Gum Fruit. "You don't have your powers, in this reality" he stated, pointing at Luffy.

Luffy nodded in understanding but still harbored one other question. "I understand most of the stuff you told me" he began, "but what do you mean by 'I guess nobody taught Moss Head the right way to use his skills?'" To answer his question, the angel revealed Zoro's wanted poster.

When Luffy saw the bounty, his eyes almost popped from his skull. The poster read "Zoro the Merciless" and the crimes listed near aimlessly from arson, theft, destruction of property; all the way up to things like rape and murder. At the bottom was stamped the number of 960 Billion Berries.

"What the…that bounty's ten times bigger than the one _I_ have already" he shouted. "Yup…you see, this _may_ have been the place were you and Zoro met so long ago. But in this reality, we're several years past that" the angel said bluntly. "But how" he asked, his confusion growing ever higher; "'Meppo and Morgan were about to kill Zoro, when we met. How did he manage to get free?"

"Tell me, lad; do you remember a little girl from here named Rika?" questioned the angel. Luffy pondered for a moment or two and then, her name finally became clear. "Yeah…I think I do" he murmured, "she gave Zoro food, when I first saw him here."

The angel smiled brightly and praised Luffy, once again for his surprisingly strong memory. "Well…in this reality; she and Coby, your little friend with the glasses, worked up enough courage to free him" he explained. "Aw, wow; that's awesome" Luffy cheered, "where are they, I want to congratulate them."

In seconds, the angel's once bright smile faded and a forlorn shadow cast itself over his eyes; hiding the grim sadness they carried. "Dude, I asked you a question" prodded Luffy, anxious to see his pals. With a heavy heart and a deep sigh, the angel snapped his fingers and they soon arrived in the middle of a cemetery.

"Huh? What are we doing here in a graveyard" Luffy asked but the angel said nothing. All he could do was raise his arm in silence towards a pair of small gravestones ahead of them. As he approached and studied them carefully, Luffy's blood ran cold.

For carved into the rock were the faces of two smiling children. Not just any children but little Rika and Coby. Horrified and dumbstruck at the same time, Luffy fell onto his rear and gave his angel a look of confusion.

The angel sighed and went on to explain that not long after Zoro was freed. Helmeppo and his father, Axe-Hand Morgan soon found out about their insolence and decided to punish them…in the worst possible way. "After he saw the two of them kill the kids, Zoro retaliated and struck back" he explained.

"Well, that's cool; Zoro was avenging someone like he always did…right?" questioned Luffy. "It started out that way…but because Morgan was a former marine, he still had friends in the navy" the angel replied. With a sigh, the angel walked over and ran his hand along Rika's headstone.

"Once Morgan's pals found out about his death, every marine on the entire island was after Zoro" he explained. "Naturally; even at _this_ point in time, Zoro was still a deadly fighter and managed to take down near all of them." Luffy frowned slightly upon hearing this, almost believing Zoro _was_ better off without him.

These thoughts were quickly brushed away, when the angel spoke again. "Yes, Zoro was quite the fighter…but after all the fighting he did and the abuse he suffered; it happened" he said bluntly. This statement quickly caught Luffy's attention, "what happened…please, tell me" he begged.

"I dunno if I should, you probably won't believe me" the angel replied, this only caused Luffy to beg even harder. "Okay, okay…well, in the heat of all the fighting, he was overcome with bloodlust" he explained. With that, he clapped his hands together and they were transported to another place on the island.

Here; Luffy witnessed images of violence, bloodshed and massacre the likes of which he hadn't seen since Marineford. What surprised him was how Zoro was at the very center of it all. "After snapping from the heat of battle, Roronoa Zoro became the most bloodthirsty swordsman in all the Blue" the angel explained.

He then went into detail over all the lives Zoro took. Ranging from men, women, children, elderly to even non-human examples. "Even the Marines weren't able to stop him…because a lot of them were too scared to even try to confront him" the angel murmured sullenly.

To say Luffy was horrified from all this was an understatement. At that very moment, he had a look of fear he hadn't shown since his "training days" with his grandpa, as a kid. "The only other person who tried was Dracule Mihawk…you can see how _that_ went" the angel said grimly, as an orb appeared in his palm.

In it, Luffy saw images of the man who (in _his_ reality) was Zoro's greatest rival/inspiration for sword fighting. He could recognize Mihawk right away the cross-shaped sword he carried on his back. "Oh, wow…this could get ugly" Luffy murmured, "yes…but for whom, that's another story" chimed the angel.

In a flash, the two swordsmen began their duel. Sparks scattered hither and yon with every strike they delivered. "Wow, Zoro's still got it" Luffy chuckled, "yep…but looks can be deceiving, as they say" replied the angel.

Luffy prepared to question him the meaning behind his words. When suddenly, something in the duel caught his attention; something Zoro was doing, more specifically. As Mihawk knocked Zoro to the ground with a kick to the gut, he appeared to be victorious.

" _So, this is how it ends for Zoro the Merciless"_ chuckled Mihawk maliciously, _"not with a bang but with an incredibly pathetic whimper."_ Luffy looked on anxiously, hoping Zoro had some kind of secret plan to win this duel. Unknown to him, Zoro _did_ have a plan…but not one Luffy would approve.

As Mihawk approached him, with his blade raised high above his head; Zoro took action. After gripping a handful of sand, he chucked it into Mihawk's face; blinding him. Taken off-guard by this sneak attack, he suddenly dropped his sword.

This was the opportunity Zoro was waiting for. With a cruel smile on his lips and his opponent's sword in hand, he approached Mihawk slowly. "Someone should've told you, friend…never underestimate your opponent" Zoro chuckled.

Through pained and squinted eyes, the last image Mihawk could see was the glimmer of his blade swiping at him. After that, all soon faded into darkness. For with that one strike, Zoro lopped off his head and claimed victory.

Once the duel was over, Zoro collected Mihawk's sword and severed head and presented them to the crowd of cowering onlookers nearby. "Let this and my previous battles be a lesson shitbags" he shouted, "no matter what you think, _no one_ can defeat Zoro the MERCILESSS!"  
The skies echoed loudly with his fiendish laughter and Luffy begged the angel to turn off the images. "This…This is unreal, that's not my Zoro; he'd never be like that" Luffy gasped in disbelief. "That's back in _your_ world, though; here…without you, Zoro got the passion he wanted to become the world's greatest swordsman" sighed the angel.

"Here, after becoming consumed with bloodlust; he's nothing more than a thug. Murdering all kinds of people just for the fun of it." Hearing such a despicable description of his friend, coupled with the images he saw, almost brought Luffy to vomit.

"Please…can't we go somewhere else, I can't stand this anymore" he grumbled, clutching at his stomach. "Agreed, let's get back to the ship" instructed the angel, taking Luffy by the wrist. As the anchor rose up, Luffy had finally regained his composure.

"So…angel dude, where are we headed now" mumbled Luffy, "I may not exist in this world…but I'm starting to get hungry." As proof of this, a soft gurgle and growl soon cried out from the boy's belly. "You're in luck, then; our next stop is the famed ship, Baratie" chuckled the angel.

Upon hearing this name, Luffy's head sprang up with delight. "I KNOW THAT PLACE" he cried, "that's the restaurant ship where Sanji used to work at with that old coot, Zeff!" The angel smiled, took the wheel and the shooting star "sail" zoomed on ahead.

In an instant, they found themselves over somewhere in the East Blue. Luffy raced over portside excitedly, hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous restaurant ship. But what he saw instead were bodies in the water and a dilapidated vessel below them.

"What the…What the Hell, angel guy" grumbled Luffy, "I thought you said we would be going to where the Baratie is!" The angel simply pointed down at the wreckage below them. "That, my young friend _is_ the Baratie…or what's left of it" he said simply.

Luffy glanced silently down at the sight below him. Wondering what sort of force could've caused all this…and where Sanji might've been.

(AN: Just when Luffy thought things couldn't look any grimmer, Heaven throws him a curveball. Who caused all that wreckage and where might Luffy find Sanji? Tune in next time, to find out.)

(Second AN: I'm not exactly sure who in the One Piece universe has or had the highest bounty. So, I did my best to make a high enough one to represent how deadly Zoro the Merciless was. I hope I was close enough with my choice)


	4. Chapter 4: A Dish Served Cold

A Dish Served Cold: Chef Sanji, Gone? 

As the ship hovered down slightly, Luffy carefully studied the scenery around him. All across the water were broken pieces of wood, scattered bits of food and dozens of bodies. "What…What happened here, did somebody get the wrong order" queried Luffy, "nothing of the sort, I'm afraid" the angel said grimly.

Disregarding his previous thought, Luffy began to search the bodies; hoping to find Sanji among them. Sadly; he did manage to find him, eventually…but not in the water. Without hesitation, he rushed onto what remained of the deck and resumed his search.

What he found, instead utterly horrified him. The first thing he came across a man with big arms, big lips and a shaved head. Upon closer inspection, Luffy's mind began to recognize him a little. _"I know this guy…it's Patty, one of the old man's workers"_ he thought to himself.

Luffy then noticed that the poor fellow's right arm was almost broken off, his eyes were bleeding from having been punched and his clothes were severely torn. Upon stumbling back in shock, Luffy suddenly phased through another body. Luffy looked down and saw the face of Chef Zeff, who appeared to be at Death's door.

"What…how did all this happen…and where's Sanji" stammered Luffy in shock, "if you want the answer, check what's left of the kitchen" instructed the angel. With a nod, Luffy approached the stern of the ship and began searching the kitchens…or what was left of them. From top to bottom, the whole place seemed to be torn down.

"What caused all this; a storm, a raid…some kind of wild party?" questioned Luffy, unsure of what to make of the situation. "No raid, no storm…just an unruly group of customers" the angel answered bluntly. He then went on to mention the name of Don Krieg.

"I know that guy" growled Luffy, "he shot the old man, tried to kill Sanji and wanted to take over this ship; so that he could return to the Grand Line." The angel nodded, once again impressed by his memory skills. "As I recall, you helped Sanji take down Krieg and his crew; saving this ship…am I right?" he asked eagerly.

Luffy nodded slightly then, realization struck him like a "fist of love" from his grandfather. In _this_ world, none of the stuff the angel said would've happened; just like with Zoro. "So…since I don't exist in this world; what exactly, happened here?" he asked.

"To answer that; let's turn back the clock for a moment, shall we" the angel suggested. With a snap of his fingers, time seemed to be rewinding itself. Soon, the wreckage around them started moving in reverse; rebuilding everything instantly.

Then, a flash burst and they found themselves inside the dining area of the restaurant. There, they find Sanji; going about his duties as the waiter of the Baratie. "Hey…I remember this; yeah, this is how we met" Luffy chuckled. "He used to be a waiter here, before he joined my crew."

"And he still is, in this world" said the angel, "since he never met you, he never left the island and never got to fully show off his cooking skills." This revelation took Luffy completely off guard. "How can that be, didn't he cook all his famous stuff here" he asked.

"That he did, my boy…but nobody really appreciated his work the way you did" answered the angel. "You were the only one to ever give him unbiased opinions on his food and the only pirate to ever show him some decency." He then requested Luffy to look at Sanji closely, which he did.  
It was then that Luffy got a good look at his face. It was dull, stoic and completely void of any of the passion he'd usually see from him. "Without you around; having to serve the same people, hearing the same comments about his food and dealing with the same riffraff for so many years has left Sanji devoid of any of the passion your version would've had" explained the angel.

"Here, Sanji's love for cooking doesn't exist. If anything, he wished for the day it would all just end…which it did, very soon" he added. At that moment, their ears echoed with the sounds of combat and screaming.

"What the Hell is happening" cried Luffy, confused; "you're about to see what caused the wreckage you saw earlier" replied the angel. As if on cue, Don Krieg and his pirates soon came into view. After Zeff refused to turn his ship over to Krieg and his pirates, Krieg retaliated bitterly.

In an instant, his armor suddenly changed into a series of cannons and guns. This sight caused Luffy to blink in surprise. "Huh…I almost forgot he could do that" he said bluntly, his expression blank.

What followed was a series of massive explosions and collateral damage. At first, Zeff tried to stop him…but Krieg was able to anticipate every action he would make. "I'm not just another drunken pirate, old man" he chuckled, "I am a master strategist, I can tell what move you're gonna make just by looking at you!"  
Just then, a voice cried out in saying "let's see you predict this." From the side; Patty came rushing toward Don Krieg, with a meat cleaver in his hand. But despite his courage and valor, it meant little to Krieg. With a cruel smile, he fired a small cannon ball at the chef; which collided hard against his belly.

This shot sent Patty flying into a wall, whereby Krieg's crew proceeded to throttle him. "HEY, KNOCK IT OFF" Luffy shouted, "CAN'T YA SEE HE CAN'T FIGHT RIGHT NOW?!" Upon saying this, he felt the angel's knuckles knock lightly against his head.

"HELLOOO! Weren't you listening earlier; they can't hear you, remember" he groaned exasperatedly. Luffy growled in understanding but still refused to just sit back and watch. At that moment, Zeff and Sanji rushed in; ready to avenge their beaten colleague.

"Heh, some people just never learn" Krieg chuckled smugly, readying his shoulder cannon. Upon firing the blast, the room was engulfed in a blinding flash and Luffy soon found himself looking over the wreckage he saw before. "The battle between Krieg's pirate forces and the staff of the Baratie only lasted for a day and a half. Despite their efforts, they couldn't withstand Krieg's might" the angel mumbled grimly.

"I…I can't believe it" Luffy stammered, "well, boyo; believe it…without you to help turn the tide, this whole place went to Hell in a hand basket very quickly" the angel stated. Luffy gave one last look at Sanji's dead face and stumbled backward in shock. "This…This isn't real, I gotta get out of here" he cried desperately, rushing back to the ship.

"Way ahead of you, little man; time for our next stop…Syrup Village" the angel called out. With that said, Luffy knew who they plan to see next; Usopp. _"Here's hoping_ his _life turned out better than the previous places we've visited"_ he thought to himself.

(AN: Wow, another red mark on the punch card. Who'd have thought things would've gone so bad, if Luffy never visited Sanji's place. Wonder what Usopp will have in store for him, tune in to find out)


	5. Chapter 5: A Bitter Truth

A Bitter Truth: Usopp the Cowardly Liar

Once again, the angel's cloud ship came to a sudden halt in the sky. Luffy looked down to see a small town beneath them. "Is this it, are we over Syrup Village" he asked, still shaken from their previous stop. "That we are, my boy" the angel stated, "now…let's go see if we can find your sniper friend around here."

As they made their trek through the streets, Luffy looked around him with a suspicious look in his eye. "What has _you_ so on edge, boy" questioned the angel, "it's just…everything feels too…normal" Luffy murmured. "After seeing a mass-murdering Zoro and my favorite chef dead, things can't be _this_ normal!"

"Remember what I said about not being fooled by appearances, lad" the angel instructed. They walked and walked a little farther on and then, Luffy heard a noise. Even from their position, Luffy could still hear the roars of outrage and anger nearby.

He knew those noises all too well, after all his years of mischief-making and adventuring. Then, when he realized where he was; he knew the shouting could've been due to one reason…Usopp. Without hesitation, Luffy began to run the rest of the way.

Eventually, he found the source of the noises. For in the center of town was a gathering of all the townspeople, who appeared to be rather livid. "Whoa…what's got them so upset" he pondered, "go up and see for yourself" urged the angel.

Slowly and cautiously, Luffy approached the crowd. Then, he halted his stride and giggled. "Duh…why am I sneaking around, nobody here can see me." With that in mind, he walked through the crowd (quite literally) and found what everyone was raving about.

However; it wasn't, exactly something he was expecting to see. In the center of the village square was a set of stocks and strapped inside these stocks was a familiar face, Usopp. Whose face was heavily coated with juices from the rotten and tomatoes being tossed at him.

"Damn you, ya rotten troublemaker" cried one villager, "you and your damn lies have caused us all nothing but trouble!" This caused several other townspeople to roar out in agreement. "Come on, people; I was just playing around" cried Usopp, shaking off the dripping tomato juice from his face.

"In my opinion, a restraining order seems too small of a punishment a rat like you deserves" cried a woman angrily. Luffy blinked confusedly, upon hearing this. "Restraining order…what restraining order is she talking about" he asked, "the one that forbids Usopp and Miss Kaya from ever seeing, speaking or hanging with each other" the angel answered.

Luffy was flabbergasted by this news, "I don't remember anything about that, who made the order" he demanded. The angel pointed to the back of the crowd. Luffy narrowed his eyes and soon spotted a familiar figure in a black suit.

"Hey…I know that guy" he exclaimed, "that's Captain Kuro, Jango's old boss…he pretended to be Kaya's butler!" The angel smiled brightly at the young former captain. "Maybe you aren't as dumb as your crew says" he chuckled.

Before Luffy could retort at the mild insult, the angel spoke again. "Everything you said is true, boyo" he stated, "but alas…because Usopp is forbidden to be with Kaya. He wasn't able to learn about Kuro's _true_ identity." He went on to further explain that because everyone believed in his alias, it allowed Kuro and his crew to later kill Kaya and seize her wealth.

"But why…couldn't Usopp have learned about all that _before_ the restraining order happened?" questioned Luffy. "We _both_ know how much of a liar he can be, boyo" quipped the angel, "said lying tendencies got the public here so annoyed with him. They eventually, chose to disregard anything he would have to say, from then on."  
Luffy's face suddenly developed a look of surprise. "Oh, it's like that story; The Boy Who Cried Wolf; right?" he asked, this took the angel completely off guard…but he still gave a nod of agreement. "Yes; his situation is almost, exactly like that" he stated, "unfortunately…Usopp's story here ends just the same way as that one, with blood.

Luffy looked at him confusedly and asked what he meant by such words. "Without you believing in his tall tales and lies, Usopp never had the confidence to believe he _could_ become a great pirate" the angel explained. "Because of this lack of confidence, he never felt courageous enough to stand up to Kuro and thus resorted to telling dozens of lies everywhere."

"But what does Kaya or blood have to do with this" questioned Luffy, "without Usopp to watch over her, Miss Kaya placed unyielding trust towards her 'butler.' This trust later resulted in him killing the poor girl in her sleep" the angel explained. To prove his point, the scenery around them began to show them the entire event; from beginning to end.

When Luffy saw Kuro's claw swords swipe down, he looked away; tears welling up beneath his eyelids. "After that, Kuro/Klahadore placed blame for Kaya's death squarely on Usopp" the angel added. The angel sighed and the world around them returned to as it was before.

"This was Usopp's fate, after the event occurred" he added, "in time, however…he'll be taken in by the marines and executed. While Kuro and the Black Cat Pirates remain here at Kaya's estate, livin' large and in charge." The weight of this place's events along with the others he saw before made Luffy feel so terrified. He began to choke violently, as if he was being strangled.

"Calm down, boy or we may have to get a doctor for ya" quipped the angel. This statement shook Luffy instantly out of his distressed state. "A doctor… _Chopper_ " he cried out loudly, grasping at the angel's robe.

"Please, tell me he's been spared from all this kind of pain!" Luffy begged, "only one way to find that out" chimed the angel. With that; he summoned his ship, once again and they quickly climb aboard. "Next stop is Drum Island" the angel called out, as the anchor rose high.

As the ship hovered upward, Luffy cast one final glance down at the scene below him. As he saw Usopp being mercilessly pelted with rotting food stuff, he swore he saw tears rolling down his cheeks. This sight was such a dishonor to his friend, Luffy began to cry as well.

 _"I'm sorry Usopp"_ he thought sadly, _"I'm sorry I failed you."_

(AN: Sheesh, this Luffy-less world is becoming more terrible with every stop they make. Wonder what Drum Island has in store…and what Fate has in store for Chopper in this reality)


	6. Chapter 6 The Freak of Drum Island

The Freak of Drum Island: Chopper, the Lonesome Reindeer

When the ship reappeared, once again; Luffy and his angel found themselves surrounded by snow everywhere. At first, Luffy thought he would catch his death of cold here without his jacket. But considering he didn't exist in this reality, he believed he was safe.

Sadly, his skin suddenly morphed into a dark blue and he let out a deep-throated shiver. With a nervous chuckle, the angel snapped his fingers and both of them were snug beneath warm winter coats. "W-W-Wait, I t-t-thought you said we don't exist in this world" Luffy asked in a questioning tone, "we don't…but I forgot that we still feel the climate differences…heh-heh" the angel chuckled.

Luffy briefly glared daggers at the angel, before turning his attention down below them. "I can't believe I'm back here again" sighed Luffy nostalgically, "yes…but we're not here for sight seeing" the angel stated. After that, the ship suddenly whooshed down until they were hovering over the village.

"Um…angel dude, why are we just floating here" questioned Luffy, "is there something important we need to find?" "Not some _thing_ , boyo…but rather, some _one_ " he replied, scoping out the village below. Finally, after five minutes of searching; he soon found what he was looking for.

"Down there, by that tavern…do you see him" he asked, Luffy looked closely and tried to spy what the angel saw. Finally, he saw one of the cans tip over and something suddenly rolled out of it. "What the…what's a raccoon doing in a place like this?" he wondered.

Upon saying the word "raccoon," all the pieces began to fall into place. "Wait, that's no raccoon; that's… _CHOPPER!_ " he shouted, "got it on your first try, mate; good work" cheered the angel. Upon taking a closer look at his friend, however; all of Luffy's joy swiftly faded into disgust.

The poor wee reindeer was covered from head to toe in bruises. His beloved hat was slightly torn and coated in filth, his left eyelid was swollen from a bruise and he appeared skinny and malnourished. _"So,_ that _explains why he was rooting around the trash"_ Luffy thought sadly.

"Why is he in the garbage, why isn't he with that old witch, Kureha?" he asked, genuinely curious. "In this reality, he still lives with her" the angel answered, "the only difference is…here, Chopper still harbors a strong distrustful nature towards humans." Luffy gasped with realization, for it wasn't until the two of them met when Chopper began to trust humans just a little.

"Because you were never born, you never came to this island" the angel explained. "Because of this change of events, Chopper would still distrust humans and Wapol would still be the asshole leader of the island; instead of Dalton." Luffy nodded slightly in understanding, then studied Chopper's current appearance.

"How does me not being here explain that" he asked, pointing at the wee reindeer. "Well, because of his distrust of humans; he never felt comfortable about going into town and collecting ingredients for Kureha's medicines" the angel explained. "This, in turn lead to Chopper making dumb decisions…like stealing."

With that said, the angel began showing Luffy many images of this world's Chopper. These images showed him raiding gardens, general stores and even houses of their collections of specific ingredients. "Naturally, the poor sap would get caught…many times over" the angel explained, "which lead to many beatings, death threats and injuries delivered by the people."

Luffy felt incredibly horrified, horrified by how these people would mistreat him in this way. "As you would recall, boyo; the people acted this way because of who/what Chopper was" the angel stated. "That's no excuse, Chopper's an awesome guy" Luffy said defensively, "he doesn't deserve this!"

The angel sighed and patted Luffy's shoulder. "You're a good lad, Luffy" he said with a smile, "you don't focus on what a person looks like, only what they do." The two of them looked back at Chopper, who proceeded to munch on a crust of watermelon from the trash.

"As for why he looks so malnourished…well, because of how the townsfolk would treat him. Kureha would often lash out at the townsfolk" the angel explained. "As you would imagine, all that lead to both sides heavily distrusting each other." The angel explained further on that because of this rift, no one would barter or trade with Kureha.

"The people refused to give her food, supplies…or anything to help her" he grumbled. Luffy couldn't help but grumble as well, "some people are so stupid" he stated bitterly. "Why would they be so mean to the only doctor they had?" he asked, throwing his hands into the air.

"If there is one thing guys like me and the Big Man know it's this" the angel began, "humans let their fear and anger do incredibly stupid things." He went on further to say that now, Chopper has no choice but to survive the one way he can; like an animal. "Does that include rooting around people's trash" Luffy grimaced, "I'm afraid so; Chopper's been abused for so long, his animal instincts now dominate his thoughts" the angel murmured sullenly.

As Chopper raced over to another can, the residents of a house near it rushed out and popped a warning gunshot over his head; scarring him. "YOU BETTER RUN, YOU BLUE-NOSED FREAK!" the man shouted, waving his gun threateningly. As Chopper scampered fearfully behind a tree, Luffy put his foot down.

"COME ON, CHOPPER" cried Luffy, while running towards his friend; "you're stronger than this, stand up for yourself!" As he attempted to stroke his friend's ear comfortingly; he growled in annoyance, has his hand phased right through.

"Dammit…DAMMIIIIIIIT!" he roared angrily, "I can't help anyone here; not Zoro, not Usopp, not Sanji…not even Chopper!" He faced his guardian angel with a distressed look in his eyes. "Please… _Pleeeeeeease_ , tell me that this nightmare is almost over!" he begged, which was met with a silent shake of a head; as a response.

"I'm afraid not, we still have a few more stops to make" he stated. As the ship reached their position, they quickly climbed aboard; not wishing to see anymore of this horror. "Don't know about you…but I'm getting tired of the cold" the angel grumbled.

"Well, what are we gonna do about it" questioned Luffy, "well…might I suggest we go someplace warm, on our next stop and I know just the place" he replied. With a clang of the bell and the shooting star sail lit up, once again; the ship took flight.

Meanwhile, Luffy sat himself on the deck and ran his hands through his hair. Up until now, he truly believed life was better for everybody without him. But after the sights he'd seen, he wasn't so sure.

He could only wonder where their next destination would be.

(AN: Wow…some of us humans can be such douchebags to people who are different. I would know; due to my Hydrocephalus, I felt some of the same lashings Chopper did. Good thing Luffy could look past the physical stuff and see Chopper's real value.

But the journey is far from over, folks; tune in next time to see where the journey leads next)


	7. Chapter 7 Two Lives, One Tragedy

Two Lives, One Tragedy/The Downfall of Robin and Vivi

Once the cloud ship reappeared in the sky, once again; Luffy was greeted by a near blinding flash of light. "OUCH!" he cried, "you could've warned me before you decided to use your heavenly powers again, you know!" The angel chuckled and informed him that _he_ wasn't the cause of the light.

He gestured above them and Luffy could see the sun, blazing brightly in the sea-blue sky. "Okay…so, I was wrong but where are we anyway" he asked, "why not look below and see for yourself" the angel suggested. Luffy did just that and when he did, he could see an ocean of sand beneath the ship.

"There's only one place I know of that has _this_ much sand. We must be in…" Before Luffy could finish; as if on cue, the ship swooped over a sand dune and the royal palace of Alabasta suddenly swept into view. Luffy couldn't help but gawk astounded at the familiar sight.

 _"I can't believe I'm back here again, after so long"_ he thought excitedly. _"I wonder if I'll see Vivi here again?"_ At that moment, Luffy heard his angel chuckling softly at the wheel.

He turned around and gave him a firm glare. "What the hell is so funny" he asked irritably, "you'll see the princess shortly, boyo…but I'm afraid you won't like what you see" the angel replied sadly. Luffy blinked in confusion and asked how he knew what he was thinking about.

"All angels of Heaven and even my boss can hear the thoughts of mortals, boyo" he chuckled, once again. Luffy couldn't help but sweatdrop at this revelation. Wondering just how many of Sanji's thoughts angels like his had seen.

His train of thought suddenly halted, however; when they got closer to the palace. Once they left the ship, the duo headed off towards the palace and Luffy began to hear noises. They were faint, at first but as he came into the square; his ears rang with sounds of shouting and angry rants.

Luffy looked ahead and saw that it was the townspeople, all of them shouting in unison "DEATH TO THE NEFERTARI LINE!" "What the…why are they shouting at the king and Vivi?" Luffy asked, utterly confused. "Have you forgotten about Crocodile's influence already?" questioned the angel, "give me a break, pal; I haven't been here in ages" grumbled Luffy.

The angel nodded in understanding, believing that being apart from one's friends _can_ cause difficulty in remembering past memories. "Well; surely, you remember the great drought the kingdom suffered…right?" questioned the angel, hopefully. Luffy's eyes lit up and he began nodding his head vigorously.

"Yeah, I _definitely_ remember that" he stated, "I also remember how Crocodile took advantage of the people's fear!" The angel nodded with a smile and explained how in this reality, that fear remained. "Because you were never born, you never helped inspire Vivi to stand up and fight alongside her people against Crocodile" he explained.

Luffy suddenly frown and a shadow of despair covered over his eyes. "Yeah, right" he grumbled, if you guys can hear everything we say up there. Then; you must've heard all the things she said about me, since we became 'friends.'" The angel smiled slyly and asked him what sort of names she supposedly called him that affected him so much.

"Oh, you know; the same stuff my crew would call me" he murmured. "Things like _baka_ , rubber-brain, annoyance, immature…and I haven't even told you the worst of them." His curiosity peaked; the angel asked what word could be so bad, compared to the others that she'd call him.

Much to his confusion, the angel could only hear Luffy mumble incoherently. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that for me," he chuckled, while putting a hand to his ear. Once again, Luffy only mumbled and the angel urged him again and again to speak loudly.

Finally, after five minutes of begging from his "guardian;" Luffy relented. _"A FAILURE"_ he cried, _"she called me a failure of a captain…there, ARE YOU HAPPY?!"_ The angel stared silently, as Luffy stood in place; panting deeply from his outburst.

Without pause, the angel smiled at Luffy and touched a finger to his forehead. Upon doing so, a white aura began to flow through the lad. As this was happening, Luffy's heavy breathing began to calm down and his expression slowly softened.

Upon drawing his hand back, the angel asked if he felt better from letting out that rage. "I guess…I guess it helped me a little" Luffy murmured, "good…now, what's this about you being a 'failure;' as you claim Vivi-chan called you" questioned the angel. Luffy sat himself down and began to tell his story about their stop at Drum Island.

"When we got there, we wanted to know of any doctors the people had that could help Nami" he began. "Not only did the people deny our request. They also called us a threat and tried to hurt us." The angel chuckled, "so…I'm guessing you tried to fight them, like you usually would?"

Luffy said nothing, only giving a small nod of shame in response. "Vivi then said to me 'Luffy…you're not fit to be captain, not everything has to be solved with violence'" Luffy grumbled, tears welling up in his eyes. After slamming his fist on the rock he sat on, the tears began to flow freely.

"She was right…I'm not fit to be a captain" he growled bitterly, "all I do is screw around and put everyone in danger because of my lust for adventure!" The angel said nothing, at first; he simply stood there while Luffy continuously beat at the rock under him. Finally, after cleaning his halo and dusting off his robe; he spoke.

"Perhaps, your princess friend had a point" he said simply, this did not appear to make Luffy feel any better. Before he could retort, the angel raised his hand. "Hold that thought…she had a point about the violence thing" he said simply, "the rest of it, however…that _did_ seem rather unbecoming of her to say."

Luffy looked at him confusedly and asked him to elaborate further. "She was under some serious stress, that day" the angel explained, "your friend and navigator _was_ at death's door, after all." Upon hearing him say this, Luffy soon began to understand.

"That being said, however; to call you a failure of a captain was most uncalled for" the angel added. "There are better ways to remind others of what's important than using insults and scolding…I think she knows this now." Luffy smiled slightly, believing that the angel might've been right.

"Besides; at that time, you weren't mighty enough to take on an entire legion of people" the angel said firmly. "It's important for all warriors to know their limits and to understand how their actions could affect those around them…do you know what that's called?"

Luffy scratched his chin, for a moment; then shrugged his shoulders in confusion. "Humility, my boy" the angel said, placing a hand on Luffy's shoulder. "It's a virtue that reminds us that no one person's pride, well-being, status or whatever is more important than those around them" he explained.

"Yeah…I think I heard of that once" Luffy stated, "and didn't learning humility help you become a stronger person where it counts?" questioned the angel, while pressing his finger to Luffy's heart. Luffy smiled softly and gave a silent nod in reply. "I just wish Vivi had a better way of teaching me about that than by calling me a failure" he grumbled.

"I may not show it on the outside…but every time I receive a beating, a scolding, get insulted or receive some sort of threat. On the inside, my heart hurts a little." Upon seeing Luffy frowning again, the angel decided to cheer him up. "We _all_ had those moments, boyo" he stated, "heck…even I've been on the short end of the stick with my fellow angels upstairs."

He then went on to mention how he never had the chance to earn his wings yet, before now. "We all doubt our place in this universe, boyo…but we all have a place in it" he explained. "Speaking of which, we're falling behind schedule…we've gotta hurry."

He snapped his fingers and the world around them began to change slowly with the passage of time. Soon, Luffy saw the kingdom become engulfed by violence and civil war. "In time, Crocodile's forces grew powerful enough to take over the city of Arubarna and the whole kingdom afterward" the angel explained.

"As you may recall, Vivi went undercover as a member of Baroque Works. In hopes to either find allies to help her or to get close to Crocodile and take him down." Luffy nodded vigorously, remembering how they once fought each other in Whiskey Peak. "Because you were never born and the crew was never formed, Vivi never would've met you lot" the angel explained.

"So, then…she probably would've still been with those guys at Baroque Works; right" Luffy guessed hopefully. The angel nodded and patted his shoulder. "Unfortunately, her time there was rather short" he stated grimly.

Luffy blinked in surprise and asked what he meant. Then, the world around them changed again. This time, they were in the middle of a large office.

At the far end of the room sat Crocodile, looking as smug as he remembered. Then, Vivi entered casually; dressed as her identity of Miss Wednesday. She took a few steps over to Crocodile and the two began to chat idly with one another.

"What is this, what am I looking at" questioned Luffy, the angel only gestured for him to listen carefully for just a little longer. Then, it happened; Vivi jumped onto the table, reached for a knife at her hip and proceeded to plunge it deep into Crocodile's throat. But much to Vivi and Luffy's horror; death spared him, thanks to the warlord's Sand-Sand Fruit powers.

Her assassination attempt having failed, Vivi attempted to run. Just as she was within reach of the door, the princess suddenly fell hard to the ground. She looked behind her and saw a pair of hand, growing up from the ground and clutching at her ankles.

 _"Tsk-tsk, Princess"_ a voice spoke softly, _"I never would've imagined you would be so clumsy…or so forgetful about our leader's powers."_ Luffy recognized the voice right away but from its tone, he prayed it was someone else. Unfortunately; Fate was not on his side, at that moment.

For as the door's burst open; in stepped the woman who was once his valuable archeologist and friend, Nico Robin. From the look of her poster, the emptiness in her eyes and the cruel tone in her voice; a chill slowly ran up Luffy's spine. Crocodile smiled at his agent, "Miss All-Sunday…how good of you to come" he chortled maliciously.

Vivi struggled violently to break free but Robin's hold on her legs made it difficult for her to even roll over. "It seems that Miss Wednesday here is not who we thought she was." Robin glanced down at Vivi and more of her hands suddenly coiled around the princess.

"Shall I dispose of her, Sir" she asked Crocodile with a cruel grin, "do not kill her…just break a few bones here and there, _that_ will get the point across" Crocodile replied with an equally cruel tone. With that command, Robin's arms lifted Vivi into the air and began to bend her ever so slightly. Luffy looked away and plugged up his ears with his hands.

But the sounds of Vivi's screams and her cracking bones still managed to echo through them. After that, Vivi's physically and emotionally broken form was dragged out of the room. "Take her to the dungeons and lock her in with Cobra" instructed Crocodile.

"It's time the two of them had a reunion…while they can!" With that statement, both he and Robin shared a cruel laugh together. "Alright…I've seen and heard enough here" he grumbled, "let's get out of here… _now!_ "

Not needing to be told twice, the angel summoned his ship and they climbed aboard. Once on deck, Luffy plunked himself down on the floorboards and tugged at his hair. "Did you hear her, Robin sounded so…cold and unfeeling about what she was doing to Vivi" Luffy mumbled with disgust.

The angel nodded sadly and readied the sail. "You fighting Crocodile was what inspired Robin to join your crew and your quest" he stated. "But because you were never born, she never left him…and remained the merciless fiend Miss All-Sunday for years."

Luffy grimaced with shame, disgust and sadness; all aimed at himself. He'd seen half of his crew's lives without him and each seemed more horrid than the last one. "So, where we off to next" he asked softly, his voice void of emotion.

"Just a couple more stops, my boy…but the journey only gets rougher from here" the angel replied, looking at Luffy with concern. On the ship went up, the shooting star sail lit up and carried the two voyagers on to their next destination. But as they sailed, Luffy's hands had yet to leave his ears.

For the sounds of Vivi's pain, the carnage from the Alabasta civil war and Robin's cruel tone of voice still echoed in his ears.

(AN: Boy, a two for one feels trip; Luffy was _not_ looking forward to that. Where will their next stop be and how much more pain will Luffy be able to handle seeing with his own eyes? Tune in next time, to find out)


	8. Chapter 8 A Not-So Super Man

A Not-So-Super Man/ The Scourge of Franky the Raider

Once again, the ship reappeared in the sky. Upon looking under them, Luffy spotted a large fountain standing over a large stone city. "Hey…I think I know this place" Luffy murmured, his brow scrunching a bit. "Do you, really" questioned the angel, "yeah…this is Water 7, the place where my crew and I met Franky…er, _would_ meet Franky" Luffy stated.

The angel applauded his memory skills, once again and their ship began to descend. As they drew closer to the city, a loud explosion rang out. Luffy rushed to the starboard side and spotted a ship falling apart near the docks.

"What the hell" he gasped "is someone being attacked or something?" "Let's go and have a look for ourselves, shall we" suggested the angel. He then eased the ship down towards the burning ship and Luffy began to search for any signs of the enemy.

What he found instead filled him with shock and utter confusion. Within the carnage and the flames, Luffy spotted a familiar sight; a tall, blue pompadour coiffed in a swirl. "No…it can't be" he murmured in disbelief, "but it is, dear boy" the angel retorted grimly.

"Say hello to your former shipwright, Franky…or as he's known in these parts; the Raider of Water 7." Luffy could not believe his eyes, his old friend and the greatest ship maker he knew…was pillaging other ships. "Don't look so surprised" the angel said bluntly, "before he met you, this is what he and his family did all the time."

"But…what about Tom and the Sunny and his dream?" questioned Luffy, utterly dumbfounded. "Without you in the picture, Franky never got the inspiration he needed to create the Sunny" answered the angel. "True; the idea _was_ inspired by something his mentor, Tom created. But _you_ , my boy were the one who encouraged him to _make it!_ "

Luffy took a moment to let all the information sink into his mind. Then, he turned his attention back to Franky. Who was whooping loudly at the latest hall he and his family had collected. "How it turned out this way was quite a sad tale" the angel said grimly.

"I thought you said he got like this because of me" Luffy retorted. "Aye, this is true…but after Tom's death; Franky did his best to avenge his mentor" the angel explained. "At first; he was only stealing from other raiders, thieves and pirates that would come to the island…this was his way of protecting them.

Luffy stared at the scene before him, dumbfounded and asked what caused Franky to become such a jerk. "Well…there were moments where the people he fought would catch him, unfortunately" the angel replied. "Afterwards; they would beat him, kick him, through garbage in his face…the works."

Upon recounting these incidents, the angel couldn't help but ball up his fists angrily. Sensing his temper growing hotter; the angel took a few moments to let out some cleansing breaths, before continuing. "Much like what happened with Zoro. After taking so much abuse and getting so little remorse; Franky suddenly snapped, one day" he stated.

"Still feeling distressed over Tom's death and infuriated by all the abuse he suffered. Franky began raiding any and all ships that came to Water 7. It didn't matter if they belonged to good or bad people…his mind was too far gone to care."

Luffy stared at the world around him in silence, utterly horrified by what he'd been told. "This is…This is insane," cried Luffy, "this isn't Franky at all!" Perhaps, not the one _you_ knew…but…" Before the angel could finish, Luffy waved his arms in annoyance.

"I _knooow_ ; in this reality, the world is different" he shouted, "still, I can't believe my not being here could cause all this kind of stuff." The angel shook his head and informed Luffy that they still had a few other stops to make. "Do I have to, I don't know how much more of this I can take" he cried.

"It shall be over, soon…but we must leave this place now" the angel murmured. With that, they got back onto the ship and sailed on. In the next instant, they seemed to have arrived at a rather bleak place.

Upon studying the surroundings, Luffy spotted another broken down ship. Thankfully, it was still standing and no raiders would be coming to ransack it. "Wonder who I'll find here" Luffy mumbled, walking off the ship.

Just as his feet touched the shore, Luffy suddenly heard faint moaning. This coupled with the eerie atmosphere gave him a grim and foreboding feeling in his bones.

(AN: A rather short chapter, I know but compared to the previous members of the crew. Guys like Franky, at the time of his journey, were among those he knew the shortest. He wasn't there at the beginning like Zoro, Sanji, Usopp or Nami was.

Still, I hope you liked it; wonder where Luffy has gone to now? Tune in for the next chapter, to find out.)


	9. Chapter 9 A Fate Worse Than Death

A Fate Worse than Death/Brook's Lonely Path

A cool, near bone-chilling wind blew by them; which, to Luffy, felt like Death running his fingers down his spine. "What is this place" mumbled Luffy nervously, "we are over an area of the West Blue" replied the angel. Upon hearing the name, Luffy's mind suddenly sparked with an idea.

"I think I know this place now" he exclaimed, "yeah…that ship is a definite giveaway, this is where we met Brook!" In jest, the angel used his powers to briefly place a graduate's cap on Luffy's head. "If your guess is correct, then; maybe Brook might still be on that ship over yonder" he surmised.

Without a moment's pause, the ship quickly yet gently headed towards the ship. But when they arrived; all they saw was wreckage, torn sails and nothingness. "No…he must be here, I just know it" Luffy said matter-of-factly, "are you sure because all I see is a run-down ship" the angel blurted out.

Just before Luffy could make a retort, they suddenly heard slow footsteps trudging along somewhere. "It's coming from along the portside of the ship" the angel called out, this caused Luffy to race ahead without a moment's pause. "Wait a minute, you fool; we have to stick together" the angel groaned.

"Not a chance" he shouted back, "if Brook is here, I'm gonna find him!" Upon reaching the portside of the ship; Luffy found…nothing, much to his dismay. That is; at first, it _seemed_ like he found nothing.

Suddenly, Luffy heard a noise from beside him. He turned around and saw nothing but a large hole in the ship's hull. With a sigh of relief, Luffy began to think that maybe the journey was starting to mess with him a little.

Then, without warning; something fell out of the hole and landed at his feet. This sudden surprise caused Luffy to let out a small yelp and jump back slightly. After calming down, a minute later; he cautiously glanced over at the thing that fell.

It looked like a dead body; sickly thin, its clothes sullied, the shoes were covered in dirt. But the one thing Luffy noticed was the massive afro atop the corpse's head. _"There's only_ one _guy I know with this kind of hair…Brook"_ Luffy thought excitedly.

As if an answer to his question, the corpse suddenly rose up from where it fell and dusted off its close. Upon turning its head, Luffy saw the unmistakable skull head of his beloved musician. However, only he was excited to see this being.

For the angel couldn't help but shiver softly beneath his robe. "You're an angel, mister" Luffy blurted out, "aren't you guys always surrounded by dead people?" The angel shook his head and said there was a difference between what he saw in heaven and the creature before them.

"Heaven is filled with the souls of good people" he stated, "this…I wouldn't even call him dead; he's rather…you know, mostly dead." Luffy giggled a little at the comment, "I read that book, it's awesome" he said with a smile. The angel stared at him blankly; unsure of what was more shocking, the fact that Luffy was unafraid of a walking skeleton or the fact that he actually read a book…and liked it.

Turning their attention back to Brook, Luffy and the angel noticed something off about him. When he walked, it was a slow and aimless pace. His head hung low and the only sounds he made were anguished moans.

"Whoa…so, _he's_ the one that was making those noises earlier?" questioned Luffy, "right you are, my boy" the angel replied. Luffy run his hand through his hair, unsure if what was happening was real. "But…But that can't be" he stammered, "he may be dead but Brook is one of the liveliest people I know."

"Perhaps he was…but without you and your friends arriving here at Thriller Bark. Brook continued to lament the death of his former crewmates" the angel explained. "All the years of pain, sorrow and loss began to consume him, with every passing year. He never sings, he never dances…all he does is shamble about the island; like a lost soul."

Luffy could not believe what he was hearing. "I fear it only gets worse from here, boyo" the angel said bluntly, "what could be worse than this?" Luffy demanded. "Brook's got no purpose, his crew is dead, I don't even want to _think_ about what happened to Laboon…so, what else is there?!"

At that moment, Luffy heard a fiendish laugh; it sounded like a cross between a cat and a snake. This was a laugh Luffy recognized all too well. It belonged to that scumbag of a warlord, Gecko Moriah.

"I didn't think _he'd_ be here too" grumbled Luffy, "of course he would" the angel said bluntly. "After all; since you Straw Hats never came around. You never helped Brook find purpose again…or helped him get his shadow back…or kicked Moriah's ass in order to free him."

Luffy let out a sigh and facepalmed himself; remembering all the crud Moriah put Brook and so many others here through, before he arrived. But he soon felt a smile creep onto his face, not a moment later. "Well…at least that asshole, Absalom won't have to force anybody to marry him" he chuckled.

The angel scratched his head in confusion, wondering what the heck the boy was talking about. He then took out a book from his robe and proceeded to read through a section. Curious, Luffy peeked over his shoulder and asked what he was looking for.

"This is something all us angels have" he answered, "it's an archive containing the histories of all the people on earth." Luffy couldn't help but let out a laugh of disbelief. "You can't be serious…that lil' book contains _all_ the histories of _every_ human?" he asked.

To prove he was correct, the angel opened up the tiny book and millions upon millions of pages began fluttering by Luffy's eyes. The poor boy got so dizzy from seeing them, he almost fell over. "Hey, my book is just the compact version" the angel chortled, "my supervisor…he has a much BIGGER copy, about as large as a ship's anchor.

Finally, he found Absalom's place in the book and scratched his chin. "This is odd…there are two entrees with that name in my book" he murmured. Confused, Luffy asks to look at the book for himself; to see what the angel meant.

Upon taking it, he scrolled up and down a page until he found what he wanted. "There, that weirdo with the big hat and the lion's mouth" exclaimed Luffy. The angel looked at the picture soon, all became clear. "Ah, yes; one of Moriah's generals" he deduced, "wait a tick…did you say he tried to marry someone?"

"Yeah…back in my reality, he tried to make Nami his wife" he grimaced softly, shuddering from the memory of seeing Absalom almost kiss his navigator. "Well…we'll deal with her later" the angel informed, "back on the matter of Brook…because no one came to lift his spirits and reignite purpose within him. He remains trapped here on this island, lost and alone for eternity."

Luffy felt horrified by the angel's description of Brook's fate. "With all that on your shoulders, you'd probably pray for someone to up and kill you" he murmured. "But the ironic thing is…Brook is already dead."

"That may be so" the angel stated, "but there is a bitter concept that most humans force themselves to never think about." Luffy blinked confusedly at him and asked what he meant by such a statement. "The thing is…death comes to everyone, human or otherwise" the angel replied, "but as you can see with Brook- _san_ here, there are things _sooo_ much worse than death."

At first, Luffy didn't comprehend what he said. But when he looked back at Brook, seeing him trudge along slowly and full of sadness in his non-existent heart; it all slowly became clear. With a deep frown, Luffy made his way back towards the ship.

"Let's get outta here, I've seen enough" he mumbled sadly, the angel agreed and followed after him towards the ship. Like a bat out of Hades, the cloud ship lifted up into the air and whizzed off into the sky. 

(AN: Man…this experience Luffy had felt like something out of a horror movie, am I right? Anywho, Luffy's journey is nearing ever so closely to the end. The question remains, however; how much more sick imagery can our favorite captain handle? Tune in next time to find out.)

(Second AN: The term "mostly dead" is something from the famous novel and motion picture of the same name, The Princess Bride…one of my favorite stories. It's unknown, at the moment if Luffy actually enjoys reading. But if he does, I figured The Princess Bride would be something he'd enjoy)


	10. Chapter 10 A World in Pain

A World in Pain/The People Cry for Hope

Once again, the ship came to a sudden halt; after leaving the dreariness of Thriller Bark. But unlike their previous stops, the angel seemed to have halted their vessel in the middle of another empty void. The reason; during the flight, the angel could hear his charge quivering and whimpering sadly behind him.

"Oh…C'mon, boyo" exclaimed the angel, "I ain't goin' too fast here." Snapping out of his distressed daze, Luffy glared at the angel. "It's not your driving that's putting me on edge…it's this whole damn trip" he grumbled. "Everything you've shown me has been like something out of a nightmare!"

The angel sighed, let go of the wheel, approached Luffy and patted his shoulder. "I'm sorry, boyo; I ain't tryin' to scare you on purpose" he assured, "but you wanted this…a world where you never existed." Luffy couldn't help but agree with him; this world _was_ a result of a wish he asked for, after all.

"Besides, we still have other places to see; before my job here is done" the angel stated. To say Luffy was mortified by this news would be a gross understatement. "We've already seen all the lives of my crew without me" he groaned, "how much more is left to see?!"

"You forget, Luffy that you had a strong influence on not just your crew…but almost every land and nation in the world" the angel declared. "But…seeing as how we're a little pressed for time; we can't travel to all of them, at this point." Hearing this, Luffy asked the angel what he planned to do instead.

To which the angel answered not with words but with a snap of his fingers. After doing this, a small object appeared in his hand. When Luffy looked at it, the device looked like some sort of remote. "What the hell is that for" he murmured, confused; "you are about to see the lives of every other being you've met in the span of minutes. All through something I'd like to call…a clip show" the angel replied.

Before Luffy could question his words, the angel smiled and pressed a button on the remote. Afterwards, dozens of screens suddenly appeared from the void; each one showing the lives of many, many peoples.

Luffy gasped in awe of this and his eyes became like stars. "WOOOOOW! THIS IS SUPER COOL!" he cried, "I gotta see if Franky can make something like this…you know, when I get back." The angel gestured for Luffy to focus on the screens before him.

Upon doing so, Luffy saw dozens of images; each one as horrifying as the places he visited before. "What the…who are all these people" he asked, "look closely, boyo…are you sure you don't recognize them?" Luffy did as he was told and approached closer to the screens, so close that his face pressed against one of the screens.

"I didn't mean like _that_ , boyo" groaned the angel, facepalming himself. Luffy chuckled shyly, stepped back a few inches from the screens and looked intently at one of them. Upon doing so, something caught his attention.

It was a tailfin; long, somewhat large and a mix of red and pink colors. "Wait…a red and pink tail? Why does that seem so familiar" he asked himself, Luffy's train of thought was suddenly disturbed by the sounds of loud wailing. It was this that quickly sparked Luffy's memory.

"I know those crybaby noises anywhere" he murmured, looking closely at the screen. At that moment, he spotted a silhouette of a person on a nearby bed. But not just any ordinary person; from the tail he saw earlier, Luffy knew this had to be a mermaid.

"There's only one mermaid I know who cried _this much_ like a crybaby and that's…" "Yes, my boy; meet your old friend…Shirahoshi, the Mermaid Princess" declared the angel. At that moment, the image on the screen became brighter and Luffy could now clearly see the giant mermaid before him.

Luffy growled and prepared to scold the princess for her supposed crocodile tears. But then, he remembered he didn't exist here and thus; no one could hear him…even in this place. "Why is she even crying anyway?" he asked bluntly, "she weeps for two different reasons, both bearing horrible weight behind them" murmured the angel.

Luffy tilted his head confusedly and asked for more information. "Tell me, boyo; do you remember…Keimi?" questioned the angel, "of course I do, one of those Celestial Dragon bastards tried to hurt her…But I smashed him in the face, before he could try" he chuckled softly with pride. His joy quickly faded, having remembered things were different now.

The angel smiled at him, clearly knowing his current thoughts. "That's right, boyo" he murmured, "because you and your friends never met her. Keimi was soon captured and presented to Charloss." Luffy growled and shook his fist at the mention of the noble's name.

"What happened to her" he seethed angrily, "well…once she was brought to Marijois, the Dragons' Holy Land. Charloss and his family teased her, harassed her, insulted her and prodded at her with their silverware." Both the angel and Luffy grimaced with rage, upon hearing all this.

"She wanted to escape but Keimi was never a fighter…and thus, was left at the Dragons' 'mercy;' as a result" murmured the angel bitterly. "But what does Keimi have to do with Shirahoshi crying?" Luffy asked. The angel pressed the "fast-forward" button on his remote and the images on the screen began to whoosh by quickly.

Finally, it stopped and what Luffy saw next made him turn white as a ghost. Inside of her goldfish bowl prison was Keimi, floating dead and belly-up in the water. "After almost three months of being tormented, the Dragons' abuse finally took a toll on the poor lass…and she died in her sleep; like a common goldfish" the angel grumbled.

Luffy was baffled by what he had seen so far. The angel gave a sigh and showed him images of newspapers being sent all around the world, each of them showing the article of Keimi's death. "Once news reached the Mermaid Kingdom of Keimi's death, the mermaids and fishmen there were devastated" he murmured.

He went on to say that Shirahoshi took the news the hardest, out of all her people. "It was hard enough that she had limited knowledge of the world beyond her home" the angel sighed. "But with the news of one of their own dying at the hands of humans. King Neptune and his court refused to ever associate themselves with the surface ever again."

"But…But what about Hatchan" cried Luffy in confusion, "why didn't _he_ come and try to rescue Keimi?" The angel sighed and pointed to another screen. There, Luffy saw something that made his blood almost boil.

It was the Fishmen Pirates; led by one of Luffy's most hated enemies, Arlong and they were raiding a human city. When he saw Hatchan standing with Arlong, Luffy's face flared red with fury. "Why the hell is he with that asshole" he roared, "doesn't he know that his friend is dead?!"

"Sadly, no" the angel replied simply; "because you never met and fought his crew. Hatchi never got captured by the Marco Gang, later on." Luffy nodded slightly, remembering how much those assholes made Hatchi suffer. "Because of this change of events, Hatchan remained as part of Arlong's crew. Raiding, pillaging and killing for many years on end" the angel grumbled bitterly.

Luffy stared dumbfounded at the screen, _"whoa…I never knew we had that big of an influence on him"_ he thought in amazement. "Not just your entire crew but you, specifically" the angel boasted, "what…me; no way…we _all_ saved Hatchi" Luffy said humbly. "This is true…but despite the fact you two were once enemies. _You_ rushed in to save him without so much as a second opinion" the angel explained.

He then went on to say that showing mercy, even to one's enemies, was a heroic display. "I'm no hero" he sighed exasperatedly, "why does almost everybody I meat call me that?!" The angel couldn't help but chuckle at Luffy's outburst.

Before the lad could yell at him, the angel spoke, "you may not have _chosen_ to be a hero…But it certainly didn't stop others from idolizing you as such" he chuckled, gesturing at the screens. He pointed at one, which showed images of people with wings; walking atop of clouds.

One of these people quickly caught Luffy's eye. "I know her" he murmured, "that…THAT'S CONIS! Yeah, my crew and I saved her people from that asshole, Eneru!" Upon saying this, the images on the screen swiftly changed from pleasant to horrific. Luffy gasped, as the clouds and buildings of Skypiea burned bright from raging flames and gunfire.

Luffy then watched in disgust as villagers were being massacred by Eneru's men. "Because you never existed, you and your crew never came to Skypiea" murmured the angel, "and I…never kicked Eneru's ass and rang the golden bell" Luffy gasped. The angel gave a nod and gestured towards another screen.

This one showed an image of an island, one with snake statues around its mountain peak. "I know this place" exclaimed Luffy, "this is that island full of ladies, Amazon Lily!" At that moment, an anguished scream echoed through the air. Upon going in for a closer look, they found the source of the noise.

In the streets of Amazon Lily was a woman, a member of the Kuja Pirates. Whose arm was being stabbed and grounded into the pavement by someone's heel. When Luffy saw who was causing this pain, he almost fainted in shock.

It was none other that the Pirate Empress herself; one of three of the princess rulers of the island, Boa Hancock. Luffy watched in horror, as Hancock continued to torture the woman beneath her. "I told you to step out of my way, when I approach" she growled venomously, while grinding down her heel.

"Ouch! Please, Your Highness…I'm sorry" the woman cried, "I stumbled and…and accidentally dropped my bag, while heading for home!" Despite the sincerity and truth of her words, Hancock did not relent. "That is no excuse" she growled, "even the children know to never get in my way!"

She then called for one of her guards, whom Luffy recognized as Margaret, to bring her something. When she returned, Luffy could see a long spear in her hands. When the woman beneath Hancock's heel saw this, she began to cry.

"No…No, please" she begged, "spare me…I promise I won't fail you again!" Mortified, Luffy tried to look away from the scene. But he felt his head being twisted back around by the angel's power. "No…do _not_ look away" he chided Luffy, "you need to see every instant of this, to the very end!"

Helpless to resist, Luffy turned his attention back to the screen. On it, Hancock glared down at the woman and took the spear in her hands. "Yes, you won't fail me again… _ever!_ " she growled with ice in her voice, as she lifted the spear over her head. Then, like a hot knife through butter, the blade sliced over the fallen woman's back.

All was silent, for what felt like ages. Then, Luffy looked at the floor and saw the woman, lying motionless in a pool of her own blood. Her deed done, Hancock proceeded her way on through the city and back to the palace.

As she walked by, all the other kuja quickly hid themselves in their homes and businesses. Not wishing to suffer their princess' wrath like their fallen comrade. Luffy remained motionless where he stood, his face white as a ghost and his eye bulging and void of life.

After snapping out of his daze, minutes later; he looked to his angel and demanded to know what happened. "Before you arrived on Amazon Lily, Boa Hancock was a different woman; cold, cruel…and strict" the angel explained. Luffy blinked in realization, remembering the story of Hancock's past.

"You were the first good man Hancock had ever met" the angel stated. "Without you in the world, she remained a cruel and distant woman toward everyone; even her own people!" The next images Luffy saw were those of the kingdom of Dressrosa.

Here, life in the kingdom felt peaceful. But as the angel informed Luffy earlier, looks can be deceiving. Soon, his ears began to echo with cries of distress and anguish. While plugging up his ears, he looked back at the screen.

"Tell me, lad" the angel stated, "does anything here appear out of the ordinary?" Luffy looked closely and saw the townsfolk of Dressrossa in the streets. Walking about and going on with their business like normal…or so it seemed.

Luffy then noticed several toys and dolls walking alongside the people as well. "Wait…toys in the city" he murmured and then, all became clear. "These people must be under Sugar's spell" he exclaimed.

"Not just hers…but Doffy's spell as well, boyo" the angel added, the void then echoed with the sounds of the former warlord and then king's fiendish laughter. "Because you were never born, you never came to this kingdom" the angel explained, "thus allowing Doffy to rule over Dressrosa unchallenged and all the people to remain as dolls for all time." The screen then cut to the Corrida Colosseum.

Here, Luffy suddenly heard loud and angry outcries from inside. Upon taking a closer look, Luffy's eyes widened. For standing in the middle of the ring was his former friend, Rebecca. "Without you here, Rebecca never got the courage to stand against Doffy's forces" stated the angel.

"But…she wanted to fight in the tournament to get the Flare-Flare Fruit, right" he asked. "She wanted to use its power to fight him, one day." The angel nodded and explained how that's how things, originally started out for her.

"However; despite her skills, there were combatants that even _she_ couldn't take down" he stated. The screens then showed Rebecca going up against opponents like Spartan, Fighting Bull and of course, Hajrudin. "While fighting the first two warriors you see resulted in her winning by a knockout. It was the giant whom she could not best…and thus brought her to a grim end" the angel explained, pressing a button on the remote.

The screens then showed Luffy Hajrudin's massive fist swinging in from the side, striking hard against Rebecca. The blow sent her flying out of the ring, where she slammed against the wall and landed into the water surrounding the arena. As she became conscious again, Rebecca let out a shriek of terror; as a Fighting Fish suddenly rammed its head against her.

Luffy turned away in horror, as the poor girl was sent flying into the air. His ears rang as the spectators cheered with joy at her abuse. "Because you never came to Dressrosa and defeated Doffy. The people continued to view Rebecca and her family as murderous fiends for many years" the angel explained.

Luffy stumbled back slightly, thinking that there was no possible way things could get worse than this. To which the angel urged him to look at three specific screens before him. "Ugh! Do I have to" he grumbled, "haven't I seen enough bad stuff?"

"What these three screens show may be of interest to you, laddie" the angel replied simply. Att that moment, Luffy suddenly heard the sounds of loud, guttural snoring. This seemed to make him giggle a little, apparently sparking another memory.

"I know that sound anywhere" he stated, "my Gramps must be sleeping again." "Sorry to tell you, boyo…but he's not your gramps here" murmured the angel. As the images began to play on the screen; it showed the famed Navy admiral, Monkey D. Garp.

Who appeared to be snoring loudly and slumped over on a rocking chair. "Even here, he doesn't seem all that different" Luffy said softly, "in some ways, he may seem the same" the angel stated. "But personality-wise…Garp is a much different person than you remember him."

Luffy looked at him confusedly and asked what he meant. When the screen he was watching began to show more images, he soon saw the truth. At first glance, Garp seemed to behave like Luffy remembered; pushy, impatient and prone to sleep a lot…much like himself.

But he couldn't help but think that there was something…off with this version of Garp. "What exactly, am I supposed to find; Angel dude?" questioned Luffy. "Despite your rocky relationship, Garp took pride in knowing you could always see the best in others and never the worst" the angel replied.

"So…how does me not being born affect his life?" Luffy asked, "I'm afraid for that you not being in his life created a sort of…domino effect" the angel stated. On the screen that featured Garp, Luffy then spotted glimpses of Curly Dadan; leader of the Dadan Bandits near his village. On another screen beside it, Luffy saw something that almost made his heart melt; his late brother, Ace.

"You may not believe it, my boy…but your existence had quite a positive impact on these groups of people" the angel explained. "Yeah, right" grumbled Luffy, "Ace always said I was nothing but a pest. The angel scoffed pleasantly and assured Luffy that he was simply being a tough guy.

"Oh, really…then I guess him and Sabo threatening to kill me, after I found their hideout was him 'playing around' too?" snapped Luffy. "Trust me, mate; I've seen all sorts of men and women much like your brother" the angel replied. "They may act tough as nails and fierce, on the outside. But on the inside, they're softies."

To prove his point, the angel played a scene on one of the screens; specifically the final moments before Ace's death. On the screen, it showed Ace in tears and thanking Luffy for loving him for so long. But in an instant, the screen faded; as did the one showing Sabo and Dadan.

Baffled, Luffy walked over and began lightly slamming his fist against the screens. "Come on, bring back the picture" he demanded, "it can't show you the picture, my boy because there isn't any to show" retorted the angel. He then went on to explain how Luffy's absence from the world caused all this.

"Without you around, you never inspired a sense of brotherhood in Ace. Nor did you inspire Sabo to stand up to his asshole family or pursue a life of adventure and without the three of you together. Dadan's crew never knew how to be loving people" he said descriptively. Luffy was utterly astounded by how so many lives were changed without him around at one time.

Next, the angel showed Luffy a familiar spot in Foosha Village. "HEY! I know this place, it's Makino's bar" Luffy exclaimed, bouncing with joy. But what Luffy saw next caused it all to fade instantly. In his original reality, Makino's bar was often a place of merriment and joy.

But here, the young bartender seemed to go about her business stiffly and unemotionally; like a machine (no disrespect meant to Franky.) "Your presence in the village, your antics and news of your adventures gave your friend here such joy; over the years" the angel stated. Luffy glanced over at him, utterly shocked.

"Wait…what are you talking about" he asked, to which the angel answered by "changing the channel" on one of the screens, briefly. Here, Luffy saw the inside of Makino's kitchen at the bar. On the walls, Luffy could see not only his latest wanted poster.

But also scores of news articles with stories based on all the adventures he and his crew have been on, thus far. "You have no idea how proud you make that woman, boyo" the angel sighed. "The rest of the town is too…even that old coot of a mayor, Whoop Slap (in his own way.")

Changing back the channel, Luffy soon spotted another familiar face at the bar. One that Luffy knew all too well, for he was the man who saved his life and inspired him, gave Luffy his trademark hat and inspired him to become a pirate. It was Shanks, leader of the Red Hair Pirate group.

"WOW! It's Shanks, I never thought I'd see _him_ again" Luffy shouted with joy. But then, he noticed a grim look on Shank's face. "Why does he look so sad, Angel dude?" he asked, concerned; "since you've never existed, both Makino and Shanks' lives became incredibly tedious" the angel replied unemotionally.

Luffy stammered in confusion, proclaiming that Shanks was the most inspiring and most awesome person he ever knew. "How did me not being in the world change that" he asked. "Through you; Shanks saw much of the same spirit he saw in his captain…you know of _him_ , right?" prodded the angel.

Luffy took a moment and then, he remembered something Silvers Rayleigh told him and his friends. That long ago, Shanks once sailed under Roger's flag. "In you; Shanks saw that same spirit, vigor and love for adventure he once saw in the former Pirate King" the angel stated.

"Without you in the world, that spirit was forever extinguished from the Blue. No one ever had the same level of charisma since Roger's passing." Luffy stared at the screen, utterly dumbfounded by what he heard. "As for Makino; it's as I said before, your place in the village gave her incredible amounts of joy and happy memories" the angel explained.

"But…But she's met all kinds of sailors in her bar" Luffy retorted, "one of _them_ must've been as exciting, if not more." The angel nodded explaining that her establishment did, indeed attract seafaring travelers from all over. "The difference here, however…none of them treated her as nicely as you did" he stated.

As proof, the screens began showing all the pirates in Makino's bar causing all sorts of chaos. Hooting loudly, disturbing other patrons, throwing drinks and trash on the floor, lewdly flirting with her or making death threats to anyone who crossed them. Luffy growled furiously, upon seeing the look of fear on Makino's face.

His fury only grew higher, when Whoop Slap suddenly came into the tavern. But it wasn't his presence that irked him, you see. Rather, it was seeing the thugs inside wailing on the small mayor that caused Luffy's fury to surge.

The young lad in question began clenching his fists so tightly, his knuckles almost whitened. "Stop it…STOP HITTING HIM, HE'S JUST AN OLD MAN!" he roared angrily, he then lifted his arm and lunged at the screens; intent on trashing each of them. But once Luffy touched them, they suddenly disappeared; causing Luffy to fall on his face.

With an animalistic growl, he glared at his angel and demanded him to stop their trek. "Sorry, my boy…but there's one last thing to see and my boss wanted me to save this one for last" the angel replied. As they boarded the ship, Luffy began to wonder something.

"Hey, we've seen all my crew and my friends on this crazy voyage…except for one" he blurted out. "Agreed, which is where we're heading next" the angel stated. "I must warn you, boyo…compared to what you've seen up to this point. I fear this next stop will be a real kick in the jewels for ya."

Luffy felt a sudden chill run through him, colder than what he felt on their stops at Drum Island and Thriller Bark. It was a chill of fear and uncertainty, one that made him dread what Fate had in store for the one remaining member of his crew in this wacko world; Nami.

(AN: We're down to the wire now, everyone; will Luffy's meeting with the new Nami be what he needs to change his mind? Tune in next time, to find out)

(Second AN: I'm not sure if Televisions exist in the One Piece world. But I wanted this chapter to feel like a "clip show" scenario of sorts, to properly reference everyone else important in Luffy's life. I hope it will make sense to all of you)


	11. Chapter 11 A Debt Unpaid

A Debt Unpaid and A Promise Unfulfilled/Nami's Final Moments

As the ship reappeared in the sky, Luffy looked down and spotted the familiar sight of Orange Town. This place held some small yet meaningful significance for Luffy. For it was where he'd not only meet Buggy the Clown, captain of the Buggy Pirates.

But it was also the place where he'd meet his eventual navigator, Nami. At least; she _would_ be his navigator, back in his own reality. Here…Luffy wasn't sure what or who he would find instead.

At that moment, the sound of rapid gunfire suddenly echoed through the air. "Oh, crap" Luffy murmured, "I think I know what happens here?!" "I think you might know already, boyo" answered the angel, pointing towards the town.

After landing, Luffy proceeded to try and find the source of the gunfire. When he did, he was in for a shocking surprise. Up ahead, speeding down the street was Nami…only younger. _"Wow! I almost forgot how different she looked from way back then"_ he thought to himself.

"She certainly looks lovely, doesn't she" quipped the angel, "however…I prefer her with her long, luxurious hair, her voluptuous form and those nice soft…" Before the angel could finish, Luffy swiftly socked him in the face. "DON'T TALK THAT WAY ABOUT MY NAVIGATOR, YOU PERVERT!" Luffy shouted.

The angel rubbed his cheek and asked how Luffy snapped when _he_ spoke that way about Nami. But whenever Sanji does it, he was cool with it? "That's because Sanji's my friend and friends always say stuff like that to each other…sometimes" Luffy mumbled.

"Have it your way, lad" the angel grumbles, "I'm only saying what you're thinking anyway." Luffy puffed out his cheeks and said he'd never say that kind of stuff about Nami. "Oh, really" prodded the angel, raising a knowing eyebrow; "you've never once thought Nami was pretty, never wanted to hug her in your arms or perhaps, in the right lighting…kiss her?"

Upon saying that, the angel scoffed at the idea. Thinking that, perhaps Luffy had no concept of what kissing was. "I do too know what kissing is" he grumbled, "sometimes, just to mess with me, Makino would…kiss my cheeks until I whined."  
"But I'm talking in a more intimate way, boyo" the angel stated, "I've seen how you behave around her from upstairs." Luffy turned around, proclaiming he didn't know what he was talking about. "How about the fact that while seeing Hancock nude… _twice_ didn't make you flinch an inch. But when you see Nami's…'Happiness Punch,' you fall over with a nosebleed" he asked slyly.

Luffy said nothing but the angel saw a blush form on his cheeks. One created from shy naivety, embarrassment and annoyance. "Getting to my point, boyo" he huffed with a smile, "it seems that she is the one you put the most energy into. Whether it be used for protecting her or keeping her happy."

"Well, of course I work hard to protect her" he cried in exasperation, "she's my friend and my friends _deserve_ to be happy." After saying that, he couldn't help but frown. "But all I seem to do is make her mad" he grumbles, "she's always hitting me, punishing me and yelling at me…she must be happier here."

As if on cue, another gunshot rings out and they could swear they heard Nami wince in pain. Without hesitation, Luffy and the angel followed after her; wondering what was happening. As they followed her, Luffy turned around and spotted who the attacker was.

Following close behind was an enraged Buggy, waving a sword in his hand. "I'LL TEACH YOU TO STEAL FROM ME; YOU BACK-STABBING, MONEY-GRUBBING WHORE!" roared Buggy. "HEY! Don't you talk to her like that, scumbag!" Luffy shouted, throwing a punch.

Much to his annoyance; Luffy, once again, phased through the group. With a groan, the angel prepared to remind him about his nonexistence here. "Yeah, yeah; I know…but I can't just stand here and watch this" Luffy grumbled.

Dejectedly, Luffy continued to follow the fleeing Nami and her pursuers. From here, the situation seemed to only get worse. After being cornered in an alley, Nami picks up a stick and holds it in her free hand; while the other held onto a sac of gold.

The angel appeared behind Luffy and began to describe the scenario. "As you may remember; on the day you two met, Nami was posing as one of Buggy's crewmates" the angel stated. "Yeah, I _do_ remember, she needed that gold to help her village" Luffy replied.

"That she did…but without you in this world, Nami was left alone with the bag; no pun intended" the angel chuckled softly. He then went on to describe how even here, Nami was desperate to collect enough riches to help free her people from…a certain someone. "But without you, Nami wasn't able to survive much on her own" the angel sighed.

"But that can't be" Luffy refuted, "Nami's one of the smartest people I know." He then went on to describe her talents at predicting the weather, her skills in strategic planning and of course, her mapmaking abilities. "All this is very true, laddie" the angel said with a smile, "Bellemere tells me how proud she is of how strong _your_ Nami is and how well you've kept her safe."

Luffy was about to question how he knew Bellemere. But he quickly realized that he must've known her back upstairs where _he_ lived. "Nami _is_ capable, no mistake" the angel said with a nod, "but you are the reason she _got_ that strong. He then shows images of all the times their helping each other helped make each of them stronger.

"You were the first pirate she met that didn't act like the ones she met" the angel explained. "Your silly nature and kind heart helped her change and decide to join your cause." Luffy nodded slightly and looked back at the angel and then at the images presented.

There were some among them that Luffy couldn't help but giggle at. Like when Chopper first joined and Nami spent much of the time petting him or how she consoled him, after having a nightmare about Ace's death. In an instant, however; Luffy's smile flipped into a deep, deep frown. "So…how crappy was Nami's life, since we never met" he murmured inquisitively.

"Well…despite this scenario; Nami was able to flee Buggy and his goons, at one point" the angel assured. "But she only managed to collect small bits of gold. Combined with the amounts she saved, it wasn't enough to help her village."

The images around them suddenly shifted; soon, they found themselves standing in the middle of Cocoyashi Village. Upon their arrival, Luffy soon heard an unmistakably familiar laugh. "No…please, don't let it be… _him_ " he growled, his fists trembling slightly.

Upon turning around, Luffy spotted Nami bowing low to the floor; her hands holding up a chest of gold. After that, a large shadow loomed over her grimly and a hand plucked the chest out of Nami's grasp. Luffy heaved out furious breaths through clenched teeth, upon seeing Arlong's smiling face.

"At it again, I see" the fish-man chortled maliciously, "yes…t-t-that chest was to be added to the pile I've built up so far" Nami murmured nervously. All was silent, as Arlong stood up from his seat and approached a large mound of gold behind him. Luffy gasped in awe at the sight of the gold.

"Look at all that" he sighed, "that's gotta be at least, 500 pounds worth of berries, gold and jewels." The angel nodded in agreement, "let us hope that it will be enough to pay off her debt to Arlong" he said hopefully. Upon reaching the mound, Arlong ripped off the lid of the chest and dumped its contents out.

With every clink of the coins, Nami prayed that it and the rest of her hoard will be enough to save everyone. After the chest was emptied; Arlong tossed it aside, faced Nami's direction and stared at her silently. Behind Nami were the worried townspeople of Cocoyashi Village.

Each one of them looked at Nami with hope and at Arlong with great fear. All remained silent, for what felt like ages; not even a bird dared to chirp. Finally, he gazed down at Nami, smiled a wicked grin and shook his head.

"So sorry, my dear" he sighed, "but I'm afraid this isn't quite enough to pay me and my men off." Behind him, the Fishmen Pirates all chuckled and murmured with fiendish glee. While Nami quivered on the ground with utter shock.

"W-W'What? But I spent the last sixteen years collecting all that money for you" she cried with outrage. "Not to mention _we_ tried to help her by giving all we had" shouted Nojiko, Nami's foster sister. This news only made Arlong laugh even harder.

"Well, I'm afraid that the price went up %20 more" he stated, his smile never leaving. Not only were the townsfolk outraged but Luffy also had difficulty containing his own anger. "I know I'm not part of this world" he growled, "but I'm still gonna KICK ARLONG'S ASS!"

Without a moment's pause, Luffy roared furiously and charged Arlong. But with every punch, every kick, every headbutt or whatever else he tried to deliver; the result was the same, they had no effect. So, now; Luffy could only watch helplessly in horror at the events that followed.

Her ambitions thwarted; Nami, in a fit of blind rage, plucked a piece of the broken chest off the ground and flung herself at him. She prepared to drive her makeshift weapon deep into Arlong's throat. But to her dismay, the monstrous pirate gripped her by the throat in midair and squeezed it tightly.

"Naughty, naughty" he clicked maliciously, "you should know better than to attack the one man keeping you and your people alive." Nami let out a few strangled coughs, as tears flowed helplessly down her cheeks. "Damn…you, Arlong…and all pirates like you" she choked out.

Arlong simply laughed at Nami and eased her in close. "Big talk, you little tramp. He then asked for one of his officers, Kuroobi, to hand him his pistol.

Sensing what was to come, several of the villagers attempted to rush in to help her. But Hachi quickly stepped in and swatted them all aside with his three rows of arms. "So sorry, everyone" the octopus man chortled, "but you'll have to wait your turn.

"But don't worry…the boss will be with ya shortly" sniggered Chew, the rest of the crew joining in the laughter. Their rescue attempt halted, the people could only watch in horror; as Arlong slowly reached for the trigger.

"Ironic, isn't it" he chuckled, "you're about to die the same way Bellemere did…protecting these weak pewmans." As the fishman captain's finger pulled back the trigger, Nami's last amount of strength was spent with her final thoughts. _"Bellemere, Nojiko, Genzo…everyone, I…I'm sorry"_ she thought to herself, _"I…I failed you."_

What followed was a gunshot that rang so loudly, even the heavens could hear it. Luffy could only look on in horror, as Arlong released his hold on Nami's neck; causing her body to fall. With great desperation, Luffy rushed to her side and gazed down at her.

A pool of Nami's blood trickled on across the ground until it stopped just inches away from Luffy's knees. With mouth agape, he reached for Nami's face and traced his finger along the side. But once he saw the look of death frozen on her face, Luffy turned away in disgust.

"No…why her" he murmured, he then threw his arms at the air and roared an anguish cry. "WHY DID YOU TAKE HER TOO?!" he shouted, before he proceeded to beat at the ground. "IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME...WHY TAKE _HER_ LIFE; TAKE ME INSTEEEEEEEAAAD!" he cried loudly.

With these events having been passed, the entire world around Luffy and the angel vanished in an instant. Soon, the distressed young pirate found himself back into the black void where the adventure all began. With tears in his eyes, he fell to his knees and clutched at the hem of the angel's robe.

"Please, don't show me anymore" he begged, "I wanna go home…please, send me back!" The next few moments were spent in silence. As he angel offered Luffy the chance to release his tears freely.

"Do you still feel like the world is better off without you in it" he asked with a soft smile. Luffy wiped his tears away, looked up at the angel and shook his head. "Good…then, your journey is at an end" the angel murmured.

Luffy nodded and stood back up on his feet. "Then…am I going home now" he asked softly, "that depends on you…do you truly wish to go back?" the angel retorted. "Well, yeah…after seeing all that, I know that my crew really does need me" Luffy murmured.

"I just don't know if I can go back to the beatings and yellings from before" he grumbled knowingly. "Boyo, trust me" the angel assured, "when you get back, you'll be surprised by how things are." Before Luffy can question him, the angel gave a toot of his whistle and the ship arrived.

"Climb aboard, Luffy; it will take you home lickity split" he instructed. Not needing to be told twice, Luffy climbed up the gangplank and prepared to leave. But not before giving one final thank you to his guardian angel.

"Thanks for the trip…and everything else" he said gratefully, "I hope you'll get your wings, after this." The angel chuckled and bowed his head appreciatively. "Twas my pleasure and…if you like, permit me to offer one final piece of wisdom" he offered.

Curious, Luffy asked him what he wanted to say. "You may not be a captain in a typical sense" he began, "but your place on your crew is _still_ important. For you, my boy…are the heart of the Straw Hat Pirates." Despite the comforting nature of his words, Luffy still felt confused. "You help bring joy, love, life and purpose to your mates" the angel stated, "every crew has a navigator or a helmsman or a shipwright…but very few of them have someone with enough heart to strengthen an entire armada."

Luffy silently nodded his head, allowing the angel's words to sink in. After everything he had seen, up to this point. Luffy realized that his place on the crew wasn't just as a simple captain.

He was the light, the North Star to help guide them through the darkest times. "Never forget the positive effects you have in this world, boyo" instructed the angel, "no matter how often you get beaten or yelled at." Luffy chuckled softly at the last statement and nodded.

"I'll try…but if I forget, I hope I can call on you for help" he stated and the angel nodded in reply. With these final words said, the ship began to rise again and take off…but at a more relaxing and steady pace than before. As he went off on his final ride, Luffy's eyes fluttered and he let out a prodigious yawn. "Wow…guess all that adventuring made me tired" he slurred, "maybe I'll…I'll lie down and rest for a bit." With that thought in mind, Luffy sat himself the angel's bed and slowly drifted off to sleep.

(AN: Whoa…of all the chapters for this story; I'd say this one was, perhaps the most "feelsy" among them. I'm happy I added some of LuffyxNami shipping fuel to take the edge off. In any case; we've got one more chapter to go, before the end.

Wonder what Luffy will find, when he wakes up?)


	12. Chapter 12 The Captain Returns

The Captain Returns/A Crew's Tearful Reunion

As the sun slowly rose upward, the soft caw of seagulls sounded off in the morning. While the waves of the sea softly crashed against one another. At the epicenter of this calm atmosphere rode the majestic ship, the Thousand Sunny in all its glory.

Meanwhile, inside of this vessel, in a room at the near end of the stern; Monkey D. Luffy remained in a deep sleep. He snored softly for what felt like ages until, at last; he awoke with a start. Luffy then proceeded to flail his arms about madly, as if alarmed by something.

"NO, PLEASE" he begged suddenly, "DON'T SHOW ME ANYMORE…SEND ME BACK!" After a moment or two more of thrashing his arms about, Luffy snapped out of his daze and looked around him. After observing his surroundings for a good while, he let out a loud cheer.

"I'M BACK ON THE SUNNY…AND THE SUNNY'S BACK TO!" Luffy shouted with glee, bouncing up and down. After doing so, he plopped on his stomach and caressed his bed lovingly. "My bed…it's still here" he shouted with glee, then proceeded to greet all his belongings.

"Hello, pillow" he cried while hugging the object, "I'm gonna nap on you for hours, once I'm done." Next; he greeted his desk, his wanted poster and he stuck his head out and greeted the open sea with a star bright grin. "No sunken ships, no dead bodies, no blood…this is awesome" Luffy chuckled, taking in his surroundings.

But as he reveled at his return home, Luffy suddenly realized something was missing. "Oh, crap…my hat!" he cried while moving his hands over his head, worriedly. He quickly rushed back to the desk and discovered that it no longer sat there.

"One of the others must have it" he surmised, "I gotta go find them, tell them I'm okay!" With this thought in mind, he rushed his way up to the main deck. But just as he reached the doorway, he heard the sounds of wild sobbing and crying.

 _"The others must be upset with me…can't really blame them"_ he thought bitterly. Not wishing to make a scene, Luffy slowly opened the door just enough to hear them clearly. But left it closed enough so that nobody could spot him just yet.

Upon peeking in, Luffy gasped with shock; for the entire deck was in a complete shambles. Garbage was tossed about everywhere, holes were found in the walls outside of the aquarium area and the floor was coated in dozens of puddles.

Upon taking a closer look, Luffy found what created the puddles; the endless waterfalls of his crewmates tears of sorrow. All about the deck, every one of his friends were shrouded in a bleak aura of despair. Seeing his friends in such a state crushed his heart like it was in a vice.

The worst of it all was when he saw Nami crying. Of all of them, Luffy promised Genzo and himself that Nami would never shed a tear again. Now, thanks to his actions; her cheeks were coated with them.

Luffy soon noticed that all of them say in a sort of circle formation. At the center rested Luffy's trademark hat; held to the floorboard by a pair of arms Robin summoned. Save for the sounds of the sea and the gulls, all appeared grimly silent.

But as Luffy sat behind the door, watching them; he noticed something. Despite not saying a word, Luffy could see the strain on Chopper's face; as he desperately tried to hold in his tears. Finally, after what felt like ages; the little reindeer suddenly snapped.

With an anguished scream, he leapt off his barrel and rushed for the hat. Alarmed by his sudden outburst, Franky rushed over and grasped at Chopper's tiny arms; Usopp followed suit by grabbing his legs. "LET ME GO…LET ME GO" the reindeer wailed, "ROBIN DOESN'T DESERVE TO PROTECT HIS HAT!"

Everyone felt offended by the young doctor's choice of words. "Oh…and you think _you're_ the one that should do it, blue nose?!" roared Zoro in defiance, "I was his first mate; if anyone, _I_ should be the one to preserve the hat!" This statement seemed to only add fuel to the ever-growing fire between them all.

"You couldn't even keep yourself safe, moss-head" shouted Sanji, "what makes you think you can care for Luffy's hat properly?!" "Don't you give us that lip, curly brows" growled Franky, "all you did was talk down to the captain!" "Don't go all 'holier-than-thou' on us, moss head" Usopp growled, "you're just as guilty as the rest of them!"

Luffy winced from his hiding place, as the fighting seemed to escalate even higher. "Did you forget the beating you, Brook and that whore we call our navigator gave Luffy back on the Minks island?!" shouted Franky, "all because he said one word by accident!" This statement resulted in Sanji striking the shipwright across the head with a kick.

"Don't you _dare_ call Nami a whore, you bastard" roared Sanji, "she's already hurting enough as it is!" Zoro could only scoff at his statement, in response. "Yeah, right…the woman who causes _us_ the most pain is suffering" he chuckled. Luffy growled softly at the insults being flung Nami's way.

Speaking of whom, Luffy cast a glance in her direction to see how she was faring. When he saw the look on her face, Luffy's heart suddenly shattered to pieces and crumbled into dust. She had bags under her eyes, tears flowing down her cheeks and every breath she took made her sound like she was at Death's door.

Luffy felt mortified seeing all his friends this way and was preparing to step out to greet them. At that moment, Zoro came flying backwards the wall; causing Luffy to quickly shut the door. Even from his side, he felt the sudden vibrations of a crash flow through the wood.

Unlike their previous quarrels; which often seemed like harmless, child-like bickering. What Luffy saw before seemed like the crew was poised in killing one another. _"Am…Am_ I _the reason they're fighting like this?"_ he asked himself, both confused as well as concerned.

Soon, the fighting outside began to grow even more heated. At one point; Luffy could swear he heard Franky begging the others not to wreck his ship, on the other side. _"Listen to him, everyone; please"_ Robin's voice murmured through the rough-housing.

 _"None of this behavior is going to bring Luffy back!"_ she added, which was met with a cruel snicker from Zoro. _"Like you even care if he does, lady"_ he said mockingly, this was rewarded with a powerful series of slaps across the face from several Robin arms. But despite each blow, Zoro's expression remained fixed with a vicious look.

 _"Face facts, everybody…Luffy's gone…and he's never coming back"_ he murmured bitterly, tears welling up in his one eye. After that was said; no one spoke a word, from there on out. Finally; Nami sat up from her seat, approached Luffy's hat on the floor and held it to her chest like a child's doll.

Then, tears began to flow down her cheeks like waterfalls. _"Zoro's right"_ she confessed, _"for all we know, Luffy's gone…and we'll never see him again!"_ Upon saying these words, all the crew's once furious expressions slowly diminished into looks of pure despair.

For a brief moment, Nami cast her eyes skyward and swore she could see Luffy's smiling face in the clouds. After wiping away a tear, Nami let out a sorrowful moan and held the hat slightly tighter. Heartbroken by how distressed his crew was, Luffy threw caution to the wind and proceeded to leave his hiding place.

While hiding closely behind broken pieces of boxes or furniture, Luffy continued to listen in on their conversation. "Luffy…I'm sorry, I should've never yelled at you during my work out" grumbled Zoro shamefully. "I should've just given you a snack like you wanted" Sanji sighed.

"I should've never called you 'idiot boy…'you were only trying to help me" mumbled Chopper. Robin couldn't help but sigh and confess that she was in the same boat. The rest of the crew murmured the same thing in response.

"Luffy helped bring us together, helped us get so incredibly close to our dreams and how did we repay him…with insults and beatings!" Robin growled. "Don't you think I know that already, Robin" grumbled Nami, her fists shaking on her knees. Soon after, everyone began to lament their earlier behavior towards Luffy.  
"I should've never kicked you out of my office" cried Chopper, "you only wanted to help me." Through his empty eye-holes, Brook began to shed oceans of tears. "Luffy- _san_ …I should've never yelled at you…you only wanted to share in my love of musiiiiiiic" he wailed loudly.

"I shoulda never knocked you out of the crow's nest" Usopp sniffled, "you didn't mean to startle me…it was a mistake." "The only real mistake here was how I lashed out at Luffy" Zoro growled bitterly, "a barbell…I chucked a friggin' barbell at him for a tiny accident. Some first mate I turned out to be." Yes, each of the Straw Hats felt bitterly for their accidental transgressions against Luffy.

But none felt more shame than Nami, who continued to hold his hat to her bosom. "Luffy…you were the best thing that ever happened in my life, after so much pain" she murmured, "and now, you're gone…forever!" As she began to cry, once again; Nami cast a glance up to the sky.

"I just wish I could see you again…to tell you how much I… _we_ miss you" she stumbled slightly with a blush. "I just hope that wherever you are, you can hear us thinking about you." After those words, the crew then hung their heads in a moment of silence for their "departed" captain and dearest friend.

This silence was soon broken, not a second later; as sounds of muffled crying quickly disrupted the solemn scene. "Don't worry you guys" a voice said through choked back sobs, "I can hear you all just fine." With a sad look on his face, Chopper looked to the side and spotted Luffy; standing behind a broken supply box.

"We can't talk right now, Luffy" he murmured, "we're all too sad because you're gone." Upon saying these words, everyone (sans Luffy) ceased crying and gazed to the side with wide-eyed expressions. Upon seeing the looks of shock on their faces, Luffy waved at them shyly.

"Uh…hey, guys…I'm back" he mumbled goofily but no one dared to speak a word. Finally, Chopper slowly approached him and removed his hat. "Luffy…is that…is that really you" he mumbled, unsure if he was dreaming or not.

Luffy gave a softer version of his famous toothy grin and nodded. "Yup, it's me…guess you guys got my letter" he chuckled nervously; after that, not a single sound was uttered. The tension felt so thick, one could cut through it like butter.

Finally, with a muffled cry and a smile on his face; Chopper flung himself into Luffy's arms. "Whoa…Chopper, are you okay" stammered Luffy, clearly taken aback by the sudden display of affection. After that; he was suddenly dog pilled by Usopp, Franky and Brook.

"LUFFY, YOU'RE ALIVE" cried Usopp, "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE REALLY HERE!" Franky let out a combination laugh/cry, as he held Luffy against his chest. "SUUUUPEEEEER! Our dear captain has returned to us" he shouted with joy, "I'm so overcome with joy, I fear my heart might burst" cried Brook but suddenly stopped in mid-sentence.

"Wait a moment…I'm a skeleton, I don't have organs anymore! YOHOHOHOHOHOHO!" he chortled. Luffy couldn't help but laugh as well, overjoyed to hear another of Brook's skeleton/skull jokes. At that moment; a pair of arms suddenly sprouted out of the ground, lifted Luffy into the air and lightly threw him into Robin's original arms.

Then, without hesitation; she proceeded to clutch him in the warmest of embraces, not wishing to let go. "We're so happy you're safe, Luffy" whispered Robin, Luffy nodded in response and leaned into her hug. After being released, he came face-to-face with Sanji. Both men only stared at one another for what felt like moments.

With a smile, Sanji reached over and patted Luffy's shoulder warmly…just before deciding to deliver a swift slap across his face. "What was that for" cried both Luffy and several crew members shouted, "that was for leaving us, you doofus" Sanji retorted. Realizing he was right, Luffy hung his head low and apologized.

"I mean…it's bad enough you had us all thinking you were dead" Zoro began, "but we've all been falling to pieces over you leaving us for almost eight days!" Upon hearing this revelation, Luffy stumbled back in shock. _"I've been gone for eight days…That must explain why the ship's a mess"_ he thought to himself. Shaking that off, he asked the crew why none of them didn't take charge in his absence.

"Believe us, Luffy when we say that we tried" murmured Usopp, "each of us tried to take charge…but no one seemed to listen." Luffy blinked in surprise and turned to the ladies. "Did that happen to you too?" he asked curiously, " _especially_ us, Luffy" sighed Robin, "no matter how hard we tried…morale just didn't feel quite the same."

"When I tried to lead, all I seemed to do was make everyone (except Sanji) angrier and angrier at each other" Nami said dejectedly. After that, Sanji lit a cigarette and let out a big puff of smoke. "No one can explain it…but somehow, you manage to hold all of us together" he murmured.

"Funny…I thought you guys would be happier, if I was gone" Luffy retorted. Upon hearing this, Zoro gestured at the wreckage around the deck. "Tell us, Luffy…does all _this_ look like we're better off without you" he exclaimed, "without you around, everyone was always on edge…I lost count of all the times I wanted to behead curly brows over there."

"You want a piece of me, sword boy" growled Sanji, as the duo prepared for another verbal lashing. Alarmed, Luffy halted by pulling them both apart with his rubbery arms. Upon doing this, he let out a joyful laugh.

"ALRIGHT! I got my powers back" he cheered, this sudden outcry made the crew rather confused. "Back…what do you mean, you've always had your powers" murmured Usopp. Luffy stopped cheering and looked at him. "No, no…I was in this void, see and then; this angel came in and when I tried to hit him…my arms didn't stretch out!" he blurted out in one breath.

When he looked at the crew, they all stared at him with blank expressions. As if they were thinking Luffy had suddenly gone mad. "Luffy- _kun_ …perhaps, you should start at the beginning" instructed Robin, placing Luffy's hat back upon his head.

The young rubber man chuckled in reply and asked for everyone to get comfortable.

Hours seemed to pass and the afternoon sun slow crept by above the clouds. While back on the ship, Luffy was finishing the final parts of his story. "And then; as the ship took me home, I got tired and decided to take a nap. When I woke up; I was in my bed again" he explained.

To say the crew was baffled would be an incredible understatement. Not a single one of them dared to speak a word. As their minds still attempted to process what their captain said. Finally, the only word spoken was Chopper sighing "whoooooooa!

After a few more moments of silence, Usopp finally spoke. "You…You're telling me Kuro had me in stocks _and_ killed Kaya just like that?" he asked, while snapping his fingers. Luffy only gave a small nod; assuring him that was indeed, what he saw.

"I couldn't believe it either, at first" he stated, "but my not meeting you guys left you all in some very bad spots." The others simply stared at him, both in astonishment and horror. "I had almost forgotten how different I used to be, before meeting you" Robin confessed breathlessly.

"I'm still tryin' to understand how I would become so blood hungry, if we never met" Zoro murmured. "The angel dude said that…in my own way, I showed you how to be a swordsman the right way; not as a bounty hunter but as my bodyguard and friend" Luffy explained. With these words said, Zoro looked down at his blades and remember all the cold blood he spilled before meeting Luffy.

"All of those places were really bad. Especially when I saw people like Vivi, Hancock, Shirahoshi…and even my brothers' lives change for the worse" Luffy stated, grimacing at the mention of his brothers. The images of their suffering still fresh in his mind. "But above them all, one of those visions really hit me hard" he whispered grimly.

After that, he made a silent stride over to Nami; who looked at him confusedly. Then, much to her surprise; Luffy wrapped her arms around him and held onto her for dear life. This not only shocked her and the others.

But Sanji fumed bitterly at the captain for touching "his" Nami. The woman in question almost felt poised to bop him on the head for seemingly, violating her personal space. But those thoughts faded, when she suddenly heard muffled whimpers of sorrow.

She pulled back slightly and saw that Luffy was struggling to hold back some tears. "Nami…when I saw Arlong shoot you, point blank; my…my heart shattered to pieces" he mumbled bitterly. As Nami prepared to speak, Luffy held her tight again.

"After that happened, I fell to my knees and looked at your cold…dead eyes and _lost it_ " he blurted out. "I grabbed the angel by his robe and screamed 'WHY HER…IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ME, TAKE ME INSTEAD!'" As shocked as the crew was before, hearing Luffy show such distress over Nami's fate really took them off guard.

"But…from what you said, each one of us suffered a grim fate in that reality" Franky stated. "So…why was Nami's fate the one that truly broke you?" Luffy said nothing but to Robin, the look in his eyes and the color of his cheeks spoke quite clearly. Finally, Luffy let out a sigh and threw his hands up in defeat.

"I dunno, alright" he murmured, "I can't explain why but…Nami's happiness and her opinion of me seems to matter the most to me." He let out another sigh and sat down on a small barrel. "I dunno if it's because she was one of the first people to join my crew or because of the promise I made to Old Man Genzo…All I know is…when Nami's upset, it hurts me" he explained softly.

The crew was shocked beyond words but none more so than Nami herself. All these years; she always saw Luffy as a big, lovable and adventurous dummy. But deep down, he harbored some pretty heavy loads.

"Look…guys, all I'm saying is…I'm sorry" Luffy stated, "I'm sorry for worrying you, for making you guys fight…for making you angry at me all the time, eating so much of our food…" Despite the sincerity of Luffy's words, there was only so much sappiness the crew could handle in one sitting. "Look, Luffy; I speak for all of us when I say… _we forgive you_ " Zoro exclaimed exasperatedly.

For a brief instant; Luffy could see a smile on his face, after saying his piece. "What he said, Luffy" added Usopp, "the truth is… _we_ owe you just as much of an apology as the other way around." The others silently nodded in agreement, assuring their captain that all was well.

"True…you may not be smart in all the ways _we_ are" Nami stated, "but you have what matters just as much. A loving heart and a smile to brighten our day" added Brook. Luffy gasped silently and looked skyward, _"it's just like you said, angel dude"_ he thought mentally.

He gave all his friends a smile and told them how much he wanted to be a captain they could be proud of. "Not saying that we've already been proud of you, Luffy" Sanji murmured, "but…what did you have in mind?" The young captain said nothing, at first; only shuffled his foot against the floorboard shyly.

"If I told you…you'll all laugh at me" he murmured, to which Robin stammered in utter disbelief. "Now, you _know_ we would _never_ mock you; when you have something important to say" she assured. The others murmured in agreement and urged him to speak.

"Um…well; like I said, I really wanna prove to you that I _am_ a good captain" he stated. "So, I…uh…I was wondering…if you could…teach me how to…do the stuff you can do?" The crew stared silently at him, unsure of what to say.

"Okay, I know what you're thinking; Luffy's obviously gone cuckoo bananas" he exclaimed bitterly. "But I really mean it…if anything happens to you guys. I wanna know how to help you…and not just by punching stuff." No one spoke a word, after the request was made; unsure if he was joking or being sincere.

But when Nami saw the look in his eyes and recalled how distressed his "dream voyage" made him feel. Something in her heart urged her to relent. Finally, with a sigh and a smile; Nami nodded.

"Okay…if you really wanna do this, we'll help" she stated, Luffy jumped with joy at this news and hugged Nami again. Much like before, Sanji began to fume red with anger at the sight of his PDA. With a giggle, Nami smiled and returned Luffy's hug.

"Just so you know, Luffy" she informed, "just because we're friends doesn't mean I'll go easy on you with the lessons." Zoro, Franky and Chopper all sounded off in agreement, hoping Luffy thought his idea through. "I know it'll be hard…but to be honest, I'd prefer you guys teaching me over my gramps" Luffy cackled merrily.

The crew joined in the laughter, happy to see their captain smiling again. Later that night, everyone let out a yawn and headed off for bed. As Nami tucked herself in, she anxiously awaited for the first good night sleep she would have in over a week.

A half hour later, hers and Robin's slumber was suddenly disrupted by a soft knock at the door. With a yawn, Nami approached the door and lightly opened it. Much to her surprise, she found Luffy standing on the other side.

"Um…Hi, Nami; sorry to wake you up" he mumbled nervously, "huh…what are you still doing up, it's 10 PM" Nami sighed with a grumble. "I know…but…I wanted to talk to you quick" he said defensively, unsure if he was doing the smart thing. Behind them, they soon heard Robin let out a yawn.

Upon hearing this, Luffy felt nervous and began to sweat. "Oh my gosh…it was a mistake coming here at this hour" he fumbled shyly, backing away into the hall. At that moment, an arm popped out of the wall and lightly grasped Luffy's shoulder.

Looking over, he could see that it was Robin using her Devil Fruit powers. "Don't worry, Luffy- _kun_ " she assured, "I was just getting up to begin my night watch shift." Luffy nodded in understanding and stepped out of her way.

Robin gave her captain one quick hug, before disappearing down the hall. Now, only Luffy and Nami remained in the women's quarters. Both of them stood silently, for a few moments; until Nami decided to speak.

"Did you mean what you said" she asked suddenly, Luffy blinked at her and questioned the meaning of her words. "What you said, about my opinion and feelings mattering most to you…did you mean it" she asked again. Luffy's brow sweated slightly and he let out a small cough.  
"Well…I…gosh, I don't know what to say" he mumbled, "this has never happened before." This particular statement immediately caught Nami's attention. "What…what's never happened before" she prodded, "well…the truth is; throughout our journey, I've noticed something" he stated.

Nami blinked confusedly and bade him to continue. "Well…we've met all kinds of people, including girls like you" he admitted, "but of all of them, you're the only one who makes me feel…weird." Nami felt somewhat shocked by this declaration.

"Could you kindly explain what you mean by 'weird,' Luffy?" she asked, "what I mean is…when I met Hancock, Alvida, Rebecca or all those other ladies. I always felt the same, calm and casual; like when I'm with the guys" he explained. "But you…you always make…my stomach feel weird."

Slowly but surely, Nami began to understand his logic. "Can you explain what things about me make your belly feel weird?" she requested, eager to learn more. Before continuing, Luffy began counting off each example off his fingers.

"Well…your laugh makes _me_ laugh, I like it when we have fun together, when you smile at me and then…there's the Happiness Punch" he mumbled on the final example. Nami couldn't help but blush in embarrassment, somewhat ashamed by how she did that to him.

"But the thing is…you're the only girl who ever made me react like that" he stated. She felt flattered by his words, somewhat…but was still not fully convinced. "Well, Captain…considering you've met a good amount of women over the years; how can you be so sure?" she asked.

Much to her surprise, Luffy suddenly took her by both hands and gazed deep into her eyes. Finally, his only reply to her was a smile and the two simple words of "I'm sure." She wasn't sure if it was him holding her hands, his confident tone or the nature of his words that did it. All Nami knew was that inside, her body was burning with joy.

"Luffy, you are so stubborn…but I like that about you" she said with a giggle. At that moment, Luffy suddenly remembered the reason why he came to her room in the first place. "Listen, Nami; I have…a request" he murmured, "if it's to add more money to your spending allowance. I'm afraid I can't do that until we get more treasure" she blurted out.

Hearing this, Luffy waved his hands in comedic defense. "No…No, this isn't about that" he stated, "I wanted to know…if you'd let me sleep here with you?" At first, Nami wanted to bop him; believing that he was being naughty with her.

But she asked him what reason he had behind such a request. "Well…after the experience I had and after seeing you…kinda, sorta die right in front of me. I just…I just want to be close to you" he murmured. "If I sleep here and find you beside me, in the morning. Then…I'll know all is right with the world."

Nami stared at him blankly, for a moment or two. Then, a small and loving grin formed on her face. "That is so sweet, Luffy" she murmured, "I appreciate you want to protect me but…" She was prepared to deny his request but something in her heart caused her to change her mind.

"Okay, you can stay" she said with a pleasant sigh, Luffy grinned at her and snuggled himself in close beneath her covers. But before he dozed off, Nami pressed her finger in a mildly threatening manner against his nose. "Word of warning, no funny stuff with me…unless I give permission" she said quickly.  
"Huh…what do ya mean by funny stuff" he murmured confusedly, his question was quickly answered by Nami's warm lips pressing against his own. The kiss was brief but for Luffy, it felt like bliss. Nami giggled at Luffy's dazed expression and patted his right cheek lovingly.

"That was for being sweet earlier" she giggled, "keep it up and there might be more." With a blissful sigh, Luffy rested his head on the pillow; his chin lightly resting against Nami's back. Soon, he slowly drifted off to sleep and no other visions of death or despair haunted his dreams again

(AN: "sniff…sniff" I'm a sucker for happy endings…but wait, things aren't over yet. Wonder what the day holds for Luffy in the next chapter. Tune in to find out, next time)


	13. Epilogue: A Brand New Day

A Brand New Day, A Brand New Adventure/Luffy's Renewed Purpose

As the days passed since Luffy's heavenly adventure and the crew was true to their word. As promised, each of them set up a schedule point for the day and began teaching Luffy much of the stuff they knew. Naturally; due to his learning skill, it took some time for him to master things. But overtime, he became a rather quick learner.

Soon; Luffy was practicing Kendo and Kenjutsu with Zoro, learning basics in making simple healing remedies with Chopper, jamming with Brook, reading history books with Robin and even cooking with Sanji. On the last one; Sanji felt too nervous about teaching him, at first. Believing his food might accidentally poison the crew.  
But one day, Luffy tried his hand at making dessert. Nothing too extravagant, mind you; just a plate of chocolate chip cookies. When Luffy presented them; at first glance, the crew was put off by the odd shapes of each cookie.

Not wishing to dismiss his captain's first attempt at cooking. Chopper gulped nervously and took hold of a slightly lumpy cookie in his hoof. Slowly and cautiously, he eased the confection into his mouth and took a bite.

Upon tasting it, Chopper's expression suddenly changed from a look of fear to one of delight. Soon, he took a much bigger bite and laughed giddily. "WOW…that's _delicious!_ " he cried, then asked if he could have another.

"Hold on a minute" interjected Zoro, "let's see if it passes _my_ taste test." With that, Luffy handed him a cookie and watched him take a bite with eager anticipation. Once the chocolate began to melt against his tongue, Zoro's body quivered.

"Well…what did you think" questioned Luffy, becoming nervous with every silent second. Zoro cleared his throat and faced his captain with a firm gaze. "Luffy… _that was the richest thing I've ever tasted!_ " he cried dramatically, which helped Luffy relax a little.

Soon, the rest of the crew began to sample some cookies and each one had similar reactions to Zoro and Chopper. Even Sanji was, surprisingly pleased by how well Luffy used his teachings. "Very good, Luffy" he said with pride, "this weekend, I can teach you how to cook a nice juicy steak for us."

Luffy couldn't help but salivate at the idea of cooking meat for himself. He wished he could do it now but as Robin told him, good things came to those who wait. Of all his crewmates, he seemed to enjoy spending his new lesson time with Nami the most.

After bearing his soul to her, just days ago; the two seemed near inseparable. There were times, however where teaching Luffy how to use a map proved…a little taxing. But before the lessons began, Robin urged her to be extra patient with him.

She also suggested teaching Luffy in a way he could understand…and Nami found such a way, stargazing. One night, while out lying on the deck; Luffy listened in on Nami's newest lecture. "I still can't believe it" he chuckled, "people can really find where they need to go just by looking at pictures in the night sky?"

"That's how humans did it for centuries" Nami replied, "long before people like me thought up the idea of regular maps, humans used star maps." She then guided Luffy's finger along a long line of stars. "That pattern there, it tells me there's an island just 200 miles from here" she said with a confident tone. Luffy gasped in awe at her words.

Nami chuckled softly, surprised by how intently Luffy was listening to her. Luffy then rolled onto his back and sighed blissfully. "This is so nice" he said with a smile, "yeah, it's good to get a clear night for a change" Nami replied.

Luffy gave a soft chuckle and faced her while lying on his side. "No…I mean you and me, looking at the stars in the peaceful nighttime; that's nice" he blurted out suddenly. Then, much to Nami's surprise, he suddenly took her hand lightly in his.

With a light blush creeping across her cheeks and a soft smile, Nami turned her attention back to the stars; never once letting go of Luffy's hand. All was quiet for a while, until Nami suddenly spoke out. "You know" she began shyly, "when I was little, Bellemere said the stars were angels in heaven looking down at us."

Luffy gasped in awe at the idea and scooted closer to her. "Maybe we'll see your angel friend up there, Luffy- _kun_ " she murmured, kissing his cheek. Luffy felt shocked by this sudden gesture. But welcomed it, nonetheless and repaid her with a kiss on her cheek as well.

After that, they laid side-by-side together; just gazing up at the stars. _"If you are up there, angel dude; I hope you got your reward…and thanks"_ he thought with a smile. Meanwhile, up in the heavens; a familiar cloud ship sailed about the cosmos.

At the helm was none other than Luffy's guardian angel. Who was sailing across heaven, drinking honeyed nectar with several of his fellow angels. Behind him was a pair of magnificently regal wings, made up of beautiful golden feathers.

With a hearty laugh, he turned the wheel and the ship made a hard starboard turn. "Come along, lads" cried the angel, "Whitebeard and Ace have ale waitin' for us back at the gates." With a loud and boisterous cry of "aye, sir;" the ship sailed on its way towards the Pearly Gates.

In the months that followed their meeting, almost every night. Luffy would sit out on deck, look up and cheer with joy, whenever a shooting star whizzed by. Because Luffy knew that when he saw them flying, he knew it was the angel dude.

Either riding about on his cloud ship or soaring through the clouds with his new pair of wings. After hearing Nami's words about stars being like angels. He looked up at the first shooting star he saw and smiled.

 _"Wait to go, angel dude"_ he thought proudly, _"fly free and proud, you've earned it."_

The End


	14. (Quick Author's Note)

Quick Author's Note

I just want to take a moment and say…thank you. Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed my story. Your feedback is most appreciated.

Having been a viewer of the One Piece anime for almost all my life, I've wanted to make this story for some time. Throughout the crew's adventure's; I always felt the "humor" in the show (and I use loosely) involving Luffy being beaten, electrocuted, stomped on, yelled at or viciously attacked by his crew felt a little mean-spirited. I know all of it is the Japanese's version of slapstick.

But for me, slapstick comedy works its best through guys like The Three Stooges acting it out. Moe and Larry using crowbars to get Curly out of his sweater, that's hilarious. Nami electrocuting and beating up Luffy, Zoro and Sanji for trading the Mermaid Kingdom's gold to Big Mom for said kingdom's safety, that was rude.

Because of scenes like the aforementioned on, it got me thinking. What if there came a day where the crew went too far towards Luffy in their scolding him? If that happened, I imagined it going two ways.

The first being what you've just read through "It's A Wonderful Life: One Piece Edition." The second being if Luffy suddenly snapped and exhibited the same level of anger he reserves for guys like Arlong or Doffy toward his crew. I'm thankful I went with the former, rather than the latter.

Still, many fans (like me) don't find the "Luffy Abuse" moments quite that funny. Instead, we prefer moments like Momonosuke using his childish innocence to gain Nami's affection or Luffy's cover of Bink's Sake in the Amazon Lily arc (when it comes to the show's humor.) Other viewers have even told me that I tend to view Luffy rather strongly as a hero-type character…and they are right.

While Oda-san, according to some, said Luffy is not really a hero (even Luffy himself said it.) That certainly doesn't stop us fans or the people he saves from viewing himself as such, am I right? To make a long story short; it's true, each one of the Straw Hats relies on the others to help them along the quest to find the One Piece.

But it's also true that if Luffy never decided to become a pirate, let alone was never born; each of the crew's lives would be DRASTICALLY different…am I right or am I wrong?

In any case, thank you for your support and have a good day. As said before, I do not own either One Piece OR It's A Wonderful Life. One Piece is under ownership of Eiichiro Oda and Toei Animation. While It's A Wonderful Life is owned by Frank Capra and RKO Radio Pictures.


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